Starlink train over Seattle tonight

When to see the Starlink “string of lights” from Seattle, WA.

Next visible train pass
Thu, Jun 25, 4:07 AM
Peak 20.26° · appears in the S, moves toward the E · local time, Los Angeles.

Upcoming visible passes

DateTimePeakAppearsToward
Jun 254:07 AM20.26°SE
Jun 254:10 AM21.71°SE
Jun 254:14 AM23.80°SE
Jun 254:17 AM25.41°SE
Jun 254:21 AM28.18°SE
Jun 263:35 AM17.82°SEE
Jun 264:14 AM41.37°SWE
Jun 264:18 AM44.52°SWE
Jun 264:22 AM50.67°SWE
Jun 264:25 AM51.98°SWE
Jun 264:30 AM47.65°SWNE
Jun 273:09 AM16.65°SEE

Times are computed for Seattle 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 Seattle

  • 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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