Starlink train over Washington tonight
When to see the Starlink “string of lights” from Washington, DC.
Upcoming visible passes
| Date | Time | Peak | Appears | Toward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24 | 3:59 AM | 31.49° | S | E |
| Jun 24 | 4:02 AM | 35.93° | S | NE |
| Jun 24 | 4:05 AM | 39.68° | S | NE |
| Jun 24 | 4:07 AM | 44.10° | SW | NE |
| Jun 24 | 4:11 AM | 51.40° | SW | NE |
| Jun 24 | 4:40 AM | 58.83° | SW | NE |
| Jun 25 | 4:04 AM | 84.78° | SW | NE |
| Jun 25 | 4:07 AM | 70.95° | SW | NE |
| Jun 25 | 4:11 AM | 66.75° | SW | NE |
| Jun 25 | 4:14 AM | 56.98° | SW | NE |
| Jun 25 | 4:18 AM | 50.70° | SW | NE |
| Jun 25 | 4:52 AM | 23.60° | W | N |
Times are computed for Washington 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 Washington
- 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 Washington
Browser push, no email needed. We'll notify you before the next visible Starlink train passes over Washington.
Prefer email?
One heads-up before the next visible train over Washington. Never more than 2/week.