What Did I See in the Sky? Starlink, ISS and Strange Lights · Aliens
The Aliens sky checker
What did I see in the sky?
Most strange lights over Israel turn out to be satellites, the space station or planets. Tell us when, where and what it looked like, and we'll work out what was up there at that moment from real orbits.
Almost always a Starlink "train": satellites launched together in the last few days that haven't spread out yet, so they move one after another along the same path. You'll mostly see them an hour or two after sunset and before sunrise.
How do I spot the International Space Station?
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A very bright, steady point of light, no blinking, that crosses the sky in three to six minutes, usually from west to east. Sometimes it vanishes mid-sky as it slips into Earth's shadow.
Why does a bright star seem to follow me?
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Planets like Venus and Jupiter are extremely far away, so when you're driving they stay put in the sky while the trees and buildings slide past. That's what makes them feel like they're "riding along with you".
Why is a star flashing red, green and blue?
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A bright star low on the horizon shines through a lot of air, and the air splits its light into colors. Sirius and Capella are famous for it, and can look a lot like a blinking UFO.
What are orange lights drifting slowly in a group?
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Usually sky lanterns (Chinese lanterns) released at an event: they drift with the wind and go out one after another after a few minutes.