Hubble Space Telescope: orbit, facts & how to see it
The Hubble Space Telescope has orbited Earth since 1990, producing many of the most famous images in astronomy. Cosmik shows Hubble's live position in 3D, its ground track, and when it will next pass over your location — free, no login.
Open the live map → Search “Hubble” or NORAD 20580 in Cosmik. Want its position right now? Open the live Hubble tracker →
Hubble Space Telescope at a glance
- NORAD ID: 20580
- Launched: 24 April 1990 (Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-31)
- Altitude: ~520 km (slowly decaying)
- Orbital period: ~95 minutes
- Inclination: 28.5°
- Operator: NASA / STScI
Can you see Hubble Space Telescope with the naked eye?
Yes. Hubble is a school-bus-sized satellite with reflective surfaces — from latitudes within about ±35° of the equator it can reach naked-eye brightness during a good twilight pass. Cosmik computes those passes for your exact location and can alert you before one.
Frequently asked questions
Can you see Hubble with the naked eye?
Yes, if you're at low-to-mid latitudes (its orbit is inclined 28.5°, so it never climbs high in the sky for northern Europe or Canada). During a favourable twilight pass it looks like a steady star drifting across the sky.
How high up is Hubble?
About 520 km — low Earth orbit, similar altitude to Starlink and above the ISS. Without reboosts its orbit slowly decays due to atmospheric drag.
Related satellites
- Tiangong tracker — see China's space station live
- GPS Satellite Tracker — the constellation live in 3D
- NOAA & GOES weather satellite tracker — live in 3D
- HADES-SA (SO-127) — tiny ham-radio satellite tracker
- Iridium satellite tracker — live constellation map
- Starlink Constellation — How Many Satellites Are There?
Track more satellites
The ISS · Starlink · Tiangong space station · GPS satellites · NOAA weather satellites · HADES-SA (SO-127) · Iridium satellites · all 20,000+ objects — see how many satellites are in orbit, track Starlink, or check upcoming rocket launches.
