Can You See Starlink Tonight in New York City?

Seeing Starlink satellites from New York City

SpaceX's Starlink satellites orbit about 550 km up and are bright enough to see without a telescope when the geometry is right. At 40.7° N, New York City is right under the busiest part of Starlink's 53°-inclined shells — one of the best latitudes for catching frequent, high passes that climb steeply overhead rather than just skimming the horizon.

As one of the world's larger cities, New York City has bright skies, so the fainter passes will be washed out by light pollution — head to a park, rooftop or the edge of town and give your eyes 10–15 minutes to adapt for the best view. The best chances come during the dark hours around dawn and dusk, when a satellite high above New York City is still catching sunlight while the sky around you has already gone dark.

Right now our model finds 8260 visible Starlink passes over New York City in the next 24 hours, including 2753 high ones climbing above 40°. The next is around 04:19 local time, rising in the E and reaching about 83° altitude. The brightest pass of the window peaks near 90° toward the NW — check the table above for the full schedule in your timezone.

Freshly launched Starlink batches travel close together and appear as a striking "train" of lights moving in a line; as they spread into their operational orbits over the following weeks they become individual moving points. The pass table above already filters for genuinely visible passes over New York City — sunlit satellite, dark sky, at least 10° above your horizon.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see Starlink tonight in New York City?

Often, yes. When a Starlink satellite passes over New York City while it's still lit by the Sun and your sky is dark — around dawn and dusk — it shows up as a steady moving point of light, no telescope needed. The table on this page lists tonight's visible passes for New York City with the exact time and direction to look.

What time is best to see Starlink over New York City?

Roughly 1–2 hours after sunset or before sunrise, during twilight, when satellites overhead are sunlit but the ground is dark. Each pass on this page shows its start time in your local zone (New York City is around UTC-5).

Which direction should I look from New York City?

Each pass lists where the satellite rises, its highest point and where it sets. Because New York City is in the northern hemisphere, many passes track across the southern sky, so facing south is a good default — then follow the moving light as it climbs.

Why can't I always see Starlink from New York City?

Starlink satellites are only visible when sunlight reflects off them while you're in darkness. In the middle of the night they pass through Earth's shadow and vanish, and by day the sky is too bright — which is why visible passes over New York City cluster around dawn and dusk.