Starlink train over San Jose tonight
When to see the Starlink “string of lights” from San Jose, CA.
Upcoming visible passes
| Date | Time | Peak | Appears | Toward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24 | 3:59 AM | 47.58° | SW | NE |
| Jun 24 | 4:02 AM | 57.32° | SW | NE |
| Jun 24 | 4:05 AM | 64.21° | SW | NE |
| Jun 24 | 4:08 AM | 67.73° | SW | NE |
| Jun 24 | 4:12 AM | 72.31° | SW | NE |
| Jun 24 | 4:41 AM | 36.27° | W | NE |
| Jun 25 | 4:04 AM | 51.63° | SW | NE |
| Jun 25 | 4:08 AM | 46.30° | W | NE |
| Jun 25 | 4:12 AM | 41.16° | W | NE |
| Jun 25 | 4:15 AM | 37.19° | W | NE |
| Jun 25 | 4:20 AM | 33.43° | W | NE |
| Jun 25 | 4:54 AM | 16.72° | NW | N |
Times are computed for San Jose 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 San Jose
- 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.
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