Starlink train over Portland tonight
When to see the Starlink “string of lights” from Portland, OR.
Upcoming visible passes
| Date | Time | Peak | Appears | Toward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24 | 4:08 AM | 15.61° | SE | E |
| Jun 24 | 4:14 AM | 18.22° | S | E |
| Jun 24 | 4:43 AM | 34.93° | S | E |
| Jun 25 | 4:06 AM | 27.08° | S | E |
| Jun 25 | 4:09 AM | 29.46° | S | E |
| Jun 25 | 4:13 AM | 32.69° | S | E |
| Jun 25 | 4:16 AM | 34.85° | S | E |
| Jun 25 | 4:21 AM | 39.66° | SW | E |
| Jun 26 | 3:34 AM | 22.94° | S | E |
| Jun 26 | 4:13 AM | 63.32° | SW | NE |
| Jun 26 | 4:17 AM | 67.29° | SW | NE |
| Jun 26 | 4:22 AM | 78.95° | SW | NE |
Times are computed for Portland 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 Portland
- 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.
Want a closer look at what's overhead?
A pair of 10×50 binoculars makes the train's spacing pop, and a beginner smart telescope like the Seestar S50 or Dwarf 3 will image satellites, the ISS, and deep-sky objects from your backyard. See our 3-question picker.
Get a Starlink-train alert for Portland
Browser push, no email needed. We'll notify you before the next visible Starlink train passes over Portland.
Prefer email?
One heads-up before the next visible train over Portland. Never more than 2/week.