Starlink train tonight? How and when to see it
The Starlink train is a line of new Starlink satellites seen in the days after a SpaceX launch. It is easiest to see one to three days after launch, about one to two hours after sunset or before sunrise. Check a pass tool for your location.
Recent Starlink launches
| Launch | Liftoff | From | Train likely visible until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-18 | (Sat, Oct 31, 2026, 04:04 UTC) | Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA | around Nov 3 (rough) |
The "visible until" date is a rough guide (about three days after launch), not a pass prediction for your location.
Launch pages: SpaceX launches · Florida schedule · Vandenberg schedule · 2026 launch stats.
When and where to look
The train is easiest to see in the first one to three days after a launch, and sometimes for up to a week. Look about one to two hours after sunset or before sunrise: the sky around you is dark, but the satellites high overhead are still lit by the Sun. The line moves steadily across the sky and fades as it passes into Earth's shadow.
Whether a train passes over you on a given night depends on your location and the satellites' orbit, so check a pass predictor (below) for your spot.
Why you might not see it
- The pass is not over your area that night, or it happens in daylight or after the satellites enter Earth's shadow.
- The satellites have already raised their orbits and spread out; they then look like scattered single dots or are too faint to notice.
- Clouds, haze, a bright Moon or city light pollution.
- SpaceX has made newer Starlink satellites dimmer with darker materials and changes in how they are oriented, so recent trains can be harder to spot than early ones.
Tools to predict a pass
- Find Starlink: visible Starlink passes for your location.
- Heavens-Above: satellite pass predictions, including recent Starlink launches.
T-ZERO lists launches; it does not compute satellite passes. For tonight's launches see rocket launches today or add them to your calendar.
FAQ
What is the Starlink train?
A line of freshly launched Starlink satellites flying one behind another. Right after deployment they travel close together in a low orbit, then raise their orbits over the following days and spread apart, and the line disappears.
When can I see the Starlink train after a launch?
Best in the first one to three days after launch, sometimes up to about a week. After that the satellites spread out and move to higher orbits, and they become much harder to see.
What time of night is best to see the Starlink train?
About one to two hours after sunset or before sunrise, when it is dark where you are but the satellites overhead are still in sunlight.
Why can't I see the Starlink train?
Usually the pass is not over you that night, it is at the wrong time, the satellites have already spread out, or clouds and light pollution hide it. Newer Starlink satellites are also designed to be dimmer.
I saw a line of lights in the sky. Was it a UFO?
Almost certainly not. A straight, evenly spaced line of moving lights is most likely a Starlink train from a recent SpaceX launch. Check the recent launches on this page.
More schedules: rocket launches today · Florida · Vandenberg / California · Starship · crewed and ISS cargo · watch live · ISS live camera · 2026 launch stats · add launches to your calendar · home tracker.