# When can you see the ISS over Ames? ## Next visible pass Sunday, November 15, 2026 · Observing location time 5:43:43 PM – 5:49:43 PM Visible for 6 min · Cloud cover 0% 1. Appears · 5:43:43 PM · west-southwest 244.7° 2. Highest point · 5:47:03 PM · Elevation 65° 3. Disappears · 5:49:43 PM · northeast 49.1° Forecast updated: Nov 15, 2026, 7:34 AM Observing location time: America/Chicago Pass predictions may change after an orbital manoeuvre. [Next visible pass · Where to look]() [ISS]() [CSS / Tiangong]() International Space Station Tracker See where the International Space Station (ISS) is now and when it will next cross the sky over Ames, Iowa, United States. What counts as a visible pass? The station must be at least 10° above the horizon, illuminated by the Sun, and passing over a sky dark enough for viewing. Times use your city’s local timezone. ## Visible passes over Ames in the next 72 hours Sunday, November 15, 2026 Observing location time ### 7:21:48 PM – 7:22:38 PM Visible for 50 sec · Cloud cover 0% 1. Appears · 7:21:48 PM · west-northwest 298.5° 2. Highest point · 7:22:38 PM · Elevation 14.1° 3. Disappears · 7:22:38 PM · northwest 310.3° Monday, November 16, 2026 Observing location time ### 6:33:32 PM – 6:36:47 PM Visible for 3 min 15 sec · Cloud cover 0% 1. Appears · 6:33:32 PM · west-northwest 286.4° 2. Highest point · 6:36:17 PM · Elevation 23.1° 3. Disappears · 6:36:47 PM · north 356.6° Tuesday, November 17, 2026 Observing location time ### 5:45:17 PM – 5:50:47 PM Visible for 5 min 30 sec · Cloud cover 95% 1. Appears · 5:45:17 PM · west 273.1° 2. Highest point · 5:48:17 PM · Elevation 29.9° 3. Disappears · 5:50:47 PM · northeast 36.3° Tuesday, November 17, 2026 Observing location time ### 7:23:40 PM – 7:23:45 PM Visible for 5 sec · Cloud cover 95% 1. Appears · 7:23:40 PM · northwest 316.8° 2. Highest point · 7:23:45 PM · Elevation 10.3° 3. Disappears · 7:23:45 PM · northwest 317.9° ## ISS passes near this city Live ISS position and visible pass forecast for Ames, United States, with local times, directions, elevation and cloud cover. [Ankeny]() [Des Moines]() [Waterloo]() [Omaha]() [Cedar Rapids]() [Iowa City]() [Lincoln]() [Rochester]() [Kansas City]() [Chicago]() [Minneapolis]() [Sioux City]() ## Common questions about seeing the ISS in Ames ### When is the next visible ISS pass over Ames? The forecast on this page lists visible passes for the next 72 hours in Ames’s local timezone, including start, peak, end, direction and elevation. ### Can I see the ISS from Ames without a telescope? Yes. During a visible pass it looks like a bright, steady star moving quickly across the sky above Ames. ### Why isn’t every overhead pass listed for Ames? A pass is only listed when the ISS is sunlit while the sky over Ames is dark enough, and the station is at least 10° above the horizon. ### Does weather affect viewing the ISS from Ames? Yes. Cloud cover in the forecast helps you judge whether the sky will be clear enough during a pass over Ames. ## Data sources Orbit data from CelesTrak using U.S. Space Force GP elements. Weather forecast data from [MET Norway]() ([CC BY 4.0]()). Orbit epoch: Nov 15, 2026, 4:56:48 AM UTC Related tools [Weather forecast for Ames]() [Latest earthquakes near Ames]() [Current time in Ames]() [Aurora Forecast]() ## What counts as a visible pass? This forecast uses Ames's coordinates and local timezone to calculate when the ISS is sunlit, at least 10 degrees above the horizon and crossing a dark enough sky. ## Viewing location 42.0347°, -93.6199° · America/Chicago [Browse all cities in Iowa]() [Browse all ISS locations in United States]() ## Markdown - [CSS / Tiangong]()