Guide
Starlink positions and satellite passes guide | Starlink Monitor
Starlink Monitor displays calculated satellite positions around Earth. Select a satellite, inspect its track and check passes for your location. A position on the map tells you where the orbital model places the object; it does not automatically mean it will be visible to the naked eye.
How to find a Starlink satellite
Open the Starlink map, choose 2D or 3D and select a satellite from a recent launch group. Use “Show all” to reveal the remaining satellites. Set your observing location so that horizon information and pass predictions refer to the correct place.
Check the object’s name, NORAD identifier and orbital-data timestamp. The catalogue contains the Starlink objects available from the data source and its size can change. An object missing from the current set is not, by itself, evidence that it has left orbit.
Where do the satellite positions come from?
The app uses public CelesTrak orbital elements and the Find Starlink launch catalogue, calculating each satellite’s position with the SGP4 model. Each element set describes an orbit at a reference time called its epoch. The model propagates that orbit to the requested time.
This is a catalogue-based calculation, not direct operator telemetry. Accuracy depends in part on the age of the elements and satellite manoeuvres. If the data is older or the source is unavailable, read the update status before planning an observation.
When is the next potentially visible Starlink pass?
After you set your location, the planner searches up to seven days ahead. It prioritises intervals when the satellite is at least 10° above your horizon, is sunlit, and your local Sun is below −6°. Conditions are checked throughout each pass, so the useful viewing interval can occur before or after the satellite’s highest point.
The card shows the date, time, countdown, viewing duration and directions. Select it to preview the motion from one minute before the viewing interval. The slider explores the time around that pass; Now returns to current positions. Select the same group again to clear the selection.
The search ends earlier when the available elements reach the app’s seven-day limit from their orbital epoch. The planner shows the end of its coverage. No suitable pass in that period does not mean that none will appear after a data update. Weather and satellite brightness still determine what you can actually see.
What does a pass over my location mean?
A pass is a period when the calculated satellite position lies above an observer’s horizon. Elevation describes its height in the sky: 0° is the horizon and 90° is directly overhead. Direction tells you which part of the sky to face.
A higher pass usually encounters fewer horizon obstructions, but buildings, trees and local terrain are outside a simple horizon model. Times depend on your chosen location and the current orbital elements, and may change after a data update.
Why might a satellite on the map be invisible?
Being above the horizon is not enough for naked-eye visibility. The satellite needs suitable sunlight while the observer’s sky needs to be dark enough. Brightness, orientation, cloud and urban lighting also affect what you can see.
The night Earth view helps explain the geometry of day and night, but it is not a brightness forecast. Treat a listed pass as geometric information unless the interface explicitly provides a separate visibility assessment.
Starlink trains and individual satellites
Following some launches, a group can appear as a line of moving lights. The satellites later separate and change orbits, so most Starlink observations are not a compact train. A recent launch or a group name does not guarantee a view from a particular location.
Compare identifiers, pass times and directions rather than identifying an object only by the number of lights. The CelesTrak GP data documentation explains the orbital formats and reference times.
Common questions
- Are these real live Starlink positions?
- They are positions calculated for the current time from real public orbital elements. They are not direct GPS readings or SpaceX telemetry.
- Will every listed pass be visible?
- No. An above-horizon pass describes geometry. Visibility also depends on illumination, satellite brightness, darkness and weather.
- Why do I need to choose a location?
- The same orbit produces different pass times and elevations for different observers. Selecting a location calculates the geometry relative to your horizon.
- Why did a position or pass time change after an update?
- New orbital elements can better reflect motion and satellite manoeuvres. Predictions update along with the source data.
