What is that light in the sky?
A steady moving light, a train of lights, a bright star or a streak? Tell them apart in seconds — with a live check of what's actually passing over you right now.
That light is almost certainly a satellite, the ISS, a Starlink train, an aircraft, a bright planet, a meteor or the aurora — and Cosmik can tell you which by checking what's actually overhead right now, free. Match what you saw below.
- 🌌 Right now the geomagnetic Kp index is 3.3 — so the aurora is only likely from far-northern latitudes tonight. Open the live aurora forecast →
- 🛰️ The ISS is the brightest of all: a steady, fast 'star' with no blinking, crossing in 3–5 minutes. See its next pass over you →
Identify it in seconds
- A steady point of light gliding smoothly across the sky, not blinking→ A satellite or the ISS
Hundreds are visible after dusk and before dawn, lit by the Sun below your horizon. The brightest is the ISS.
See tonight's ISS & satellite passes → - A line or 'train' of evenly-spaced lights following each other→ A Starlink satellite train
Freshly launched Starlink batches fly in a string for a few nights before spreading out — unmistakable and often mistaken for UFOs.
Track Starlink live → - Blinking red, green or white lights, often with a steady hum→ An aircraft or drone
Satellites never blink. Regular flashing navigation lights mean a plane, helicopter or drone.
Why satellites don't blink → - A brief flare or flash that brightens then fades in a second or two→ A satellite flare or tumbling rocket body
Sunlight glinting off a flat panel or a spinning spent stage can flash far brighter than any star, then vanish.
The brightest satellites to spot → - A glow, curtains or colour shimmering low on the horizon→ The aurora
Green, red or purple light that moves and dances — driven by solar storms. Whether it's visible depends on tonight's Kp (see the live check above).
Open the live aurora forecast → - A very bright, still point that doesn't move over minutes→ A planet — usually Venus or Jupiter
Planets shine with a steady, non-twinkling light and stay put. Venus is the dazzling 'morning' or 'evening star'.
Open the sky view to identify it → - A fast streak of light gone in a second or two→ A meteor ('shooting star')
A speck of dust burning up in the atmosphere. During a shower you may see dozens an hour.
The meteor-shower calendar → - A slow, expanding spiral or glowing cloud of light→ A rocket fuel dump or deorbit burn
Vented propellant freezing in sunlight forms an eerie spiral — usually hours after a rocket launch.
See recent & upcoming launches →
Still unsure? These help: Why do satellites blink? · Can you see satellites during the day?
Common sky-identification questions
- Is it a satellite or a plane?
- If it blinks or flashes, it's a plane or drone — satellites never blink. A satellite is a steady point of light gliding smoothly across the sky in a few minutes, with no sound. The ISS is the brightest example.
- What is the bright moving light in the sky tonight?
- A steady, non-blinking light crossing the sky is almost always a satellite — most likely the ISS if it's very bright. Cosmik shows exactly what's passing over your location right now and when the next pass is.
- What are the string of lights or lights in a row in the sky?
- A line of evenly-spaced lights following one another is a Starlink satellite train — a batch recently launched by SpaceX that flies in formation for a few nights before spreading out.
- Is that moving star actually a satellite?
- Yes — a 'star' that moves steadily across the sky is a satellite catching sunlight. Real stars appear fixed; planes blink; only satellites glide silently in a straight line.
- Why is there a spiral of light in the sky?
- A slow, expanding spiral is usually a rocket dumping leftover fuel, which freezes into a glowing cloud in sunlight — often seen a few hours after a launch.
