Satellite viewing from Montreal on the night of 23 August 2026 is rated FAIR NIGHT: 3 visible ISS, Tiangong or Hubble passes, the best reaching 39° above the horizon.The best window for satellite spotting over Montreal on 23 August 2026 is 20:12–22:10 and 03:29–05:27 EDT, 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 ISS pass from Montreal on 23 August 2026 starts at 03:38 EDT, rises in the ENE, peaks 39° above the horizon and sets in the ENE, lasting about 2 minutes.
Planets at 9pm
At 9pm local on 23 August 2026, no naked-eye planets are above the horizon from Montreal. Planets rise and set like the stars, so the picture changes through the night and across the year.
45.50°NLatitude
73.57°WLongitude
CSTTimezone
Montreal (45.5°N) — the ISS can climb high overhead here, giving bright, well-placed passes.
Montreal at 45.5°N gets the ISS directly overhead and Tiangong usefully high at about 38°, though Hubble barely clears the horizon at 5° and is not worth waiting for. What sets the city apart is what is three hours east: Mont-Mégantic became the world’s first International Dark Sky Reserve in 2007, and no other North American city has a reserve of that standing so close. Closer in, the winters do real work — cold continental air is dry and steady, and a clear January night here is as transparent as anywhere on the continent.
Observing notes
Evening twilight 30 minutes after sunset. Best months: September–March, when the nights run long and the cold, dry continental air gives excellent transparency. Avoid June–July: the nights are short, humid and hazy, and at 45.5°N astronomical darkness is brief around the solstice.
ISS overhead — and the world’s first Dark Sky Reserve three hours east
90°Max Elevation
NW→NERises · Sets
5 minPass Length
SATELLITE SPOTTING FROM MONTREAL
When can I see the ISS from Montreal?
During twilight — roughly 30 minutes after sunset or before sunrise. At 45.5°N the ISS reaches 90° and passes directly overhead. September to March is the strong season, when nights are long and the cold continental air is dry and steady. Quebec observes daylight saving, so pass times shift an hour in March and November.
What satellites are visible from Montreal?
The ISS at magnitude −4, directly overhead. Tiangong reaches about 38°, high enough in the southern sky to be a straightforward second target. The AST BlueBirds are visible though lower than further south, and Starlink trains cross in the days after a launch. Hubble is the one to skip: at 45.5°N it tops out near 5°, on the horizon and blocked almost everywhere.
Where is the best place to watch satellites in Montreal?
Mont-Royal at 233 m is the city option, with an open aspect over the island. Parc national d’Oka, an hour west, reaches Bortle 5 with open water to the south. The Laurentians around Mont-Tremblant, two hours north, drop to Bortle 3. And Mont-Mégantic, three hours east, is Bortle 2 — the world’s first International Dark Sky Reserve, certified in 2007, with an observatory on the summit.
Can I see satellites from Montreal city centre?
Yes for the bright ones. The ISS at magnitude −4 reaches 90° here, so it passes high enough to clear the downtown towers, and Tiangong at 38° usually shows from anywhere with a southern sightline. Mont-Royal is the reliable choice within the city. Fainter passes and Starlink trains need Oka or the Laurentians.
Does Montreal’s latitude make it good for satellite spotting?
For the ISS, yes — at 45.5°N it passes directly overhead, which is the best geometry there is. Tiangong at 38° is workable. Hubble is effectively lost at 5°, the price of being this far north. The winters compensate: cold continental air is dry and steady, and transparency on a clear January night is excellent.
What is the best season for satellite spotting in Montreal?
September through March. The nights are long, and the cold dry air that comes with a continental winter gives some of the best transparency on the continent — worth the temperature. June and July are the weakest: short nights, humidity, haze, and only brief astronomical darkness around the solstice.
SPACE MIRROR WATCH
Montreal is in the coverage zone for EARENDIL-1, the first commercial space mirror from Reflect Orbital. When operational, the steerable mirror could illuminate Montreal during targeted passes. OrbitalSolar.ai tracks the mirror city by city →
WHAT'S VISIBLE FROM HERE
From Montreal (45.5°N) you have access to a wide range of satellites:
ISS →Reaches 90° — directly overhead. Magnitude −4, unmistakable.
Tiangong →About 38° at best — usefully high in the southern sky.
Hubble →About 5° — on the horizon and realistically not visible.
BlueBirds →Visible, though lower than further south. Worth an open southern horizon.
Amazon Kuiper →Faint (mag 5). Needs the Laurentians or Mont-Mégantic.
BEST DARK-SKY SPOTS
Mont-Royal
City option. 233 m with an open aspect over the island.
Parc national d’Oka
1 hr west. Bortle 5, and open water to the south.
Mont-Tremblant area
2 hr north. Bortle 3 in the Laurentians.
Mont-Mégantic
3 hr east. Bortle 2. The world’s first Dark Sky Reserve.
★ BEST: September – March
Long nights and cold, dry continental air — a clear January night here is as transparent as anywhere on the continent.
✗ AVOID: June – July
Short, humid summer nights with little true darkness around the solstice.
VISIBILITY FROM THIS CITY: Hubble reaches only about 5° from Montreal (45.5°N) — effectively on the horizon, and blocked almost everywhere.
Figures on this page are computed from current orbital elements and released under CC BY 4.0 — quote, republish or build on them freely with credit to OrbitalNodes.ai.
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