Without a telescope
YesOn a good pass it is about as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper: magnitude +2.2 at its best. It can be seen even from a town.
Satellites›Brightest satellites›Terra
Terra
Terra is a satellite from the United States, launched on December 18, 1999 from Vandenberg, California, United States. It is in a low orbit, 690 km above the ground, and goes around the Earth every 98.5 minutes: 14.6 times a day, at 7.51 km/s (27,000 km/h). The orbit is sun-synchronous: it crosses every place at about the same local time of day.
Where Terra is right now
The gold ring is its orbit, and the line drops to the point on the ground under it. Inside the white circle it is above the horizon. Drag the globe to turn it, pinch or use the buttons to come closer; the target button brings you back to the satellite. The 2D map shows its path over the ground for the next lap: gold where it is in sunlight, dashed where it is in Earth’s shadow.
Finding Terra…
Terra
Finding Terra…
- Over
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- Position
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- Height
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- Speed
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- Now
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- Your time
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About Terra
The flagship of NASA’s Earth Observing System, launched in December 1999. Its five instruments measure the land, the oceans, the atmosphere and the planet’s heat, and the daily pictures of Earth from its MODIS camera are some of the most used in science.
Can you see it?
From where
Its orbit crosses close to both poles, so sooner or later it passes over every place on Earth.
A satellite shows only when your sky is dark and it is still in sunlight: in the hours after dusk and before dawn.
When it passes over you
The app works out its passes over your exact location, alerts you before one, and leads you to it with an arrow in the camera view.
The facts
- Catalogue number (NORAD)
- 25994
- International designator
- 1999-068A
- Name in the catalogue
- TERRA
- Type
- Satellite
- Belongs to
- United States
- Launched
- December 18, 1999
- Launched from
- Vandenberg, California, United States
- Status
- On an extended mission
- Orbit
- Low Earth orbit, sun-synchronous
- Lowest point
- 687 km
- Highest point
- 692 km
- Tilt to the equator
- 97.9°
- One lap
- 98.5 minutes
- Laps a day
- 14.61
- Speed
- 7.51 km/s
- At its brightest
- mag +2.2 estimated, overhead
- Standard brightness
- mag +3.0 from 1,000 km, half lit
- Size on radar
- 12 m²
Orbit measured November 12, 2026, from CelesTrak. Heights are above the ground at the equator. Page updated November 14, 2026.
Quick answers
Where is Terra right now?
The map on this page shows where Terra is at this moment, the path it will follow over the ground for the next lap, and the part of the Earth it is above the horizon for. It is worked out from the latest tracking data.
How high is Terra?
About 690 km above the ground.
How fast does Terra go?
About 7.51 km/s, which is 27,000 km/h. One lap of the Earth takes it 98.5 minutes, so it goes around 14.6 times a day.
Can you see Terra without a telescope?
Yes. On a good pass it is about as bright as the stars of the Big Dipper: magnitude +2.2 at its best. It can be seen even from a town.
When was Terra launched?
On December 18, 1999, from Vandenberg, California, United States.
With the app
Knowing where it is over the Earth is one thing. The app shows you where it is in your sky.
This page follows the satellite around the planet. The app works out when it passes over you, and leads you to it.
- Every pass over your exact location, for this satellite and 10,000+ more.
- An alert before it rises, so you are outside in time.
- An arrow in the camera view that leads you to the exact spot in the sky.
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