Starlink train over Chicago tonight
When to see the Starlink “string of lights” from Chicago, IL.
Upcoming visible passes
| Date | Time | Peak | Appears | Toward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 4 | 8:56 PM | 15.61° | NW | W |
| Aug 5 | 8:37 PM | 27.47° | NW | SW |
| Aug 5 | 8:47 PM | 19.99° | NW | SW |
| Aug 5 | 8:53 PM | 16.81° | NW | W |
| Aug 5 | 8:56 PM | 15.67° | W | W |
| Aug 6 | 8:45 PM | 21.76° | NW | SW |
| Aug 7 | 8:33 PM | 32.25° | N | SW |
| Aug 8 | 8:57 PM | 15.72° | W | W |
Times are computed for Chicago and account for darkness + sunlight, so every pass listed is genuinely visible (not in Earth's shadow).
What is the Starlink “string of lights”?
When SpaceX launches a new batch of Starlink satellites, they're released together into a low orbit and spend the first days flying in a tight line before spreading out and climbing to their final altitude. During that window they look like a slow-moving string of evenly-spaced lights — often mistaken for a UFO. It's not a meteor or aircraft: it's sunlight glinting off a fresh Starlink train.
How to see it from Chicago
- Time it for twilight — the train is only visible when your sky is dark but the satellites are still catching the Sun: roughly 1–2 hours after sunset or before sunrise.
- Look in the direction listed above — the line of lights rises near that horizon and drifts across the sky over 1–4 minutes.
- Get away from streetlights and let your eyes adjust for a few minutes.
- No equipment needed — a fresh train is easily naked-eye; binoculars make the spacing dramatic.
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