# Space station pass

Also called: ISS, satellite pass, Tiangong.

A few minutes when the International Space Station (or China's Tiangong) crosses your sky, lit by the Sun.

Space stations orbit 400 km up and circle the Earth every 90 minutes. You can see them for a few minutes after dusk or before dawn, when you're in darkness but they're still in sunlight: a bright, steady point gliding across the sky, often brighter than any star. They fade suddenly when they enter Earth's shadow.

**In AstroPilot:** Tonight lists visible passes for your location, with times, direction and brightness.

**Related:** [Twilight](https://astropilot.space/glossary/twilight.md), [Magnitude](https://astropilot.space/glossary/magnitude.md), [Azimuth](https://astropilot.space/glossary/azimuth.md)

From the AstroPilot astronomy glossary: https://astropilot.space/glossary/iss-pass