Kolkata, India 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.
Evening twilight ~30 min after sunset, morning ~45 min before sunrise. Best viewing away from the city-centre light dome, toward darker outskirts. Best months: October – March — longer nights, clearer skies.
🛰 SEE SATELLITES OVER SYDNEY NOWThe ISS is visible during twilight — roughly 30–60 minutes after sunset or before sunrise. Kolkata's latitude of 22.57°N gives excellent ISS coverage, with passes reaching up to 90° — nearly directly overhead — several times a week. At its peak it takes about six minutes to cross the sky. Use OrbitalNodes for exact pass times and directions.
From Kolkata you can see the ISS (magnitude −4, extremely bright), Tiangong (China's space station), the Hubble Space Telescope, and the AST BlueBird satellites. Starlink "trains" from recent launches can also be spectacular when timing aligns.
Get away from the city-centre light dome. The ISS and Tiangong are bright enough to see from well inside Kolkata, but for fainter targets like the BlueBirds or Hubble, head toward the darker outskirts — even 30–60 minutes out makes a dramatic difference.
Yes — the ISS at magnitude −4 cuts straight through city light pollution, so it's visible from the centre of Kolkata with no equipment. Tiangong is usually city-visible too. Fainter satellites need darker skies away from direct street lighting.
Yes — 22.57°N is well placed. You get high-elevation ISS passes (up to 90°), which are brighter and longer than low ones, plus access to both high- and low-inclination orbits. The Big Dipper is also a fine sight from dark sites nearby.
October – March — Autumn and winter — longer nights and crisp, transparent skies. December and January are peak. Avoid June – July, when long twilight and summer haze reduce limiting magnitude; the ISS stays visible but fainter satellites get harder.
Kolkata sits in the Northern Hemisphere — and when EARENDIL-1 launches, its steerable mirror could illuminate targeted cities during passes. OrbitalSolar.ai has pass predictions for Kolkata →
From Kolkata (22.57°N) you have access to a wide range of satellites — here's what's visible and what isn't: