Sky Tonight Over Johannesburg: Starlink, ISS and Planets · Aliens
Tonight's sky · South Africa
What's in the sky over Johannesburg, South Africa tonight?
Saw a strange light over Johannesburg? Here's everything bright crossing the sky on Saturday, October 24, 2026, worked out from real satellite orbits, in local time.
Tonight over Johannesburg
Saw something over Johannesburg? Check what it was
Tell us when, which way you were looking and what it looked like. We'll match it against every satellite, planet and star that was up over Johannesburg at that moment.
1When did you see it?
2Where?
3What did it look like?
4Which direction, and how high?(optional)
Tip: the sun sets in the west. Not sure? Skip it, the check works without it.
5What color?(optional)
Questions about tonight's sky over Johannesburg
What was the line of lights over Johannesburg tonight?
No Starlink trains pass over Johannesburg tonight, so a line of lights is more likely a drone show, planes lined up to land, or sky lanterns drifting in the wind.
When can I see the space station from Johannesburg tonight?
The space station doesn't cross the dark sky over Johannesburg tonight. Its visible passes come in runs of a few days every couple of weeks, so check this page again tomorrow.
Which planets can I see from Johannesburg tonight?
Jupiter: very bright, visible from 3:03 AM to 4:43 AM. Best at 4:43 AM, in the northeast, halfway up the sky. Mars: bright, visible from 2:23 AM to 4:43 AM. Best at 4:43 AM, in the northeast, halfway up the sky. Saturn: very bright, visible from 6:43 PM to 3:43 AM. Best at 10:43 PM, in the north, high, almost overhead. Mercury: bright, visible from 6:43 PM to 7:03 PM. Best at 6:43 PM, in the west, low on the horizon. Planets don't twinkle and look fixed in place; from a moving car they can seem to follow you.
Was it a UFO?
Most strange lights reported over Johannesburg turn out to be satellites, planets, planes, drones or lanterns. If what you saw isn't on this page, describe it in the checker above. If nothing matches, send us your photo or video and we'll look into it.
City locations: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Satellite orbits: CelesTrak.
In brief: No Starlink trains tonight. Planets: Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Mercury. The Moon: Waxing gibbous.
Full darkness from 6:43 PM to 5:00 AM, local time in Johannesburg. Across the metro area times shift by a minute or two.
What's flying over
•Bright satellite (AJISAI (EGS)) 6:44 PM6:44 PM–7:00 PM: from the northwest to the southeast, peaking at 87° in the west. A slowly moving dot, no blinking.
•Bright satellite (INTERCOSMOS 24) 6:49 PM6:49 PM–7:10 PM: from the south to the north, peaking at 74° in the west. A slowly moving dot, no blinking.
•Bright satellite (SL-14 R/B) 6:50 PM6:50 PM–6:57 PM: from the north to the south, peaking at 70° in the east. A slowly moving dot, no blinking.
•Bright satellite (INTERCOSMOS 25) 9:34 PM9:34 PM–9:48 PM: from the north to the south, peaking at 87° in the northwest. A slowly moving dot, no blinking.
•Bright satellite (AJISAI (EGS)) 3:01 AM3:01 AM–3:16 AM: from the southwest to the northeast, peaking at 74° in the southeast. A slowly moving dot, no blinking.
•Bright satellite (SL-16 R/B) 3:05 AM3:05 AM–3:09 AM: a short, low pass in the south, peaking at 68°. A slowly moving dot, no blinking.
Planets
Jupiter: very bright, visible from 3:03 AM to 4:43 AM. Best at 4:43 AM, in the northeast, halfway up the sky.
Mars: bright, visible from 2:23 AM to 4:43 AM. Best at 4:43 AM, in the northeast, halfway up the sky.
Saturn: very bright, visible from 6:43 PM to 3:43 AM. Best at 10:43 PM, in the north, high, almost overhead.
Mercury: bright, visible from 6:43 PM to 7:03 PM. Best at 6:43 PM, in the west, low on the horizon.
Planets don't twinkle and look "stuck" in place. From a moving car they can seem to follow you.
