Satellites Visible from Khartoum
Tonight
Satellite viewing from Khartoum on the night of 23 August 2026 is rated FAIR NIGHT: 1 visible ISS, Tiangong or Hubble pass, the best reaching 19° above the horizon. The best window for satellite spotting over Khartoum on 23 August 2026 is 18:22–19:36 and 03:42–05:06 GMT+2, when most satellites are still catching sunlight. Between those windows the sky is dark but the majority sit inside Earth’s shadow. Individual satellites in lower orbits can be visible a little outside these times. The best pass of the night is picked from live orbital data — the one that climbs highest and stays visible longest.
At 9pm local on 23 August 2026, no naked-eye planets are above the horizon from Khartoum. Planets rise and set like the stars, so the picture changes through the night and across the year.
Khartoum (15.5°N) — the ISS can climb high overhead here, giving bright, well-placed passes.
Khartoum, Sudan is perfectly placed for satellite spotting. The ISS, Tiangong, Hubble, and AST BlueBird satellites all pass overhead — OrbitalNodes.ai shows you exactly when and where to look, personalised to your exact location.
Observing notesEvening twilight begins 30 min after sunset, morning 45 min before sunrise. Best viewing away from the city-centre light dome, toward darker outskirts — best October to March, when northern nights are longest.
🛰 SEE SATELLITES OVER KHARTOUM NOWWhat Khartoum's latitude means for satellite spotting
Khartoum sits at 15.6°N, and that one number shapes its whole night sky. The ISS is your standout target: at magnitude −4 it cuts straight through city skyglow, and from 16° it can climb to high passes several nights a week. There’s a second station too: Tiangong’s 41.5° inclination carries it high across your sky, bright enough for the naked eye.
Past the two stations, latitude decides everything else overhead. The Milky Way's core reaches a useful height — culminating about 45° up toward the south — though from the city its glow is mostly lost to light pollution; an hour out toward darker skies brings it back. The Magellanic Clouds only skim your southern horizon, and city glow makes them a dark-site target. Polaris sits about 16° above your northern horizon to orient by. Longer autumn and winter nights give the steadiest viewing.
Khartoum is desert-clear most of the year — summer haboob dust storms are the exception — and true dark desert sky begins just past the city’s edge.
SATELLITE SPOTTING FROM KHARTOUM
When can I see the ISS from Khartoum?
The ISS appears during twilight — roughly 30 to 60 minutes after sunset or before sunrise. From Khartoum's latitude of 15.6°N the best passes climb nearly overhead, and the brightest take four to six minutes to cross. OrbitalNodes lists the precise pass times and where on the horizon to start watching.
What satellites are visible from Khartoum?
From Khartoum the headline targets are the ISS (magnitude −4, the brightest), Tiangong, the Hubble Space Telescope and the AST BlueBird satellites. Recently launched Starlink trains are a bonus when the timing lines up.
Where is the best place to watch satellites in Khartoum?
The bright stations cut through city glow, but fainter targets reward darker ground. Heading to the darker edges of Khartoum sharply improves what you can pick out. Polaris and the Big Dipper help you orient.
Can I see satellites from Khartoum city centre?
Yes. At magnitude −4 the ISS punches straight through Khartoum's light pollution and needs no equipment, and Tiangong usually shows from the centre too. Only the fainter satellites really need darker skies.
Does Khartoum's latitude make it good for satellite spotting?
It does — 15.6°N is a strong latitude, with high, bright ISS passes nearly overhead and access to a wide spread of orbits. Tiangong, China's space station, can also ride high here and is an easy second naked-eye target.
What is the best season for satellite spotting in Khartoum?
Aim for October through March, when northern-hemisphere nights are longest and the air is clearest; midwinter is prime.
Khartoum sits in the Northern Hemisphere — and when EARENDIL-1 launches, its steerable mirror could illuminate targeted cities during passes. Track space-mirror passes on OrbitalSolar.ai →
WHAT'S VISIBLE FROM HERE
From Khartoum (15.55°N) you have access to a wide range of satellites — here's what's visible and what isn't: