# Satellite & ISS Pass Predictor - Visible Passes Anywhere (`tanod/satellite-iss-pass-predictor`) Actor

Predict when the ISS and other satellites (NOAA 15/18/19, CelesTrak stations and visual groups) pass over any list of locations in the next 1-3 days. One row per pass: start, peak and end times, azimuth, elevation, compass, and a visible-to-the-eye flag. Optional sunrise and sunset.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/tanod/satellite-iss-pass-predictor.md
- **Developed by:** [Tanod Labs](https://apify.com/tanod) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $10.00 / 1,000 pass predictions

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Satellite & ISS Pass Predictor

Find out **when the International Space Station and other satellites pass over any list of places**, for the next 1 to 3 days. One dataset row per pass, ready for a spreadsheet, a notification bot or an AI agent.

For every pass you get:

- **start, peak and end times** (UTC) with **azimuth, elevation and compass direction** at each point
- the **duration** in seconds
- a **`visible` flag**: true when the satellite is sunlit at its highest point and the sky is dark enough (Sun at or below -6 degrees) to see it with the naked eye
- optional **sunrise, sunset, twilight and moon phase** for each location, as an extra row

### Who it is for

- **Astronomy clubs, schools and science museums** planning "look up tonight" events for many sites.
- **Apps, newsletters and notification bots** that tell people when the ISS is overhead.
- **Amateur radio and weather-satellite hobbyists** tracking NOAA 15, 18 and 19 passes from their own antenna site (set the altitude and a minimum elevation).
- **Photographers** planning a shot of an ISS transit or a bright evening pass.
- **AI agents** that need a flat, reliable answer to "when can I see the ISS from here?".

### Input

```json
{
  "locations": [
    {"name": "Manila", "lat": 14.5995, "lon": 120.9842, "timezone": "Asia/Manila"},
    {"name": "London", "lat": 51.5074, "lon": -0.1278, "altitudeM": 11}
  ],
  "noradIds": ["25544"],
  "days": 2,
  "minElevation": 10,
  "visibleOnly": false,
  "includeSunMoon": true
}
```

| Field | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `locations` | required | Objects with `lat`, `lon`, optional `name`, `altitudeM` (metres) and `timezone` (IANA name, used for sunrise and sunset). Up to 50. |
| `noradIds` | `["25544"]` (ISS) | NORAD catalog numbers. Up to 10. Supported: the CelesTrak "stations" and "visual" groups plus NOAA 15 (25338), NOAA 18 (28654), NOAA 19 (33591). |
| `days` | 2 | 1 to 3, starting now. |
| `minElevation` | 10 | Degrees above the horizon (0 to 89). Higher values keep only high, clear passes. |
| `visibleOnly` | false | Keep only passes visible to the eye. |
| `includeSunMoon` | false | Adds one `sun_moon` row per location (separate charge). |

### Output

One row per pass (`kind: "pass"`):

```json
{
  "kind": "pass",
  "location": "Manila",
  "lat": 14.5995,
  "lon": 120.9842,
  "noradId": 25544,
  "satellite": "ISS (ZARYA)",
  "startTime": "2026-10-09T21:16:36Z",
  "startAzimuthDeg": 199.1,
  "startCompass": "SSW",
  "startElevationDeg": 10.0,
  "maxTime": "2026-10-09T21:19:50Z",
  "maxAzimuthDeg": 125.8,
  "maxCompass": "SE",
  "maxElevationDeg": 43.6,
  "endTime": "2026-10-09T21:23:04Z",
  "endAzimuthDeg": 52.6,
  "endCompass": "NE",
  "endElevationDeg": 10.0,
  "durationSeconds": 388,
  "visible": true,
  "visibility": "visible",
  "sunlitAtMax": true,
  "sunAltitudeDeg": -7.3,
  "elementsAgeHours": 0.1,
  "attribution": "CelesTrak elements; computed by Tanod"
}
```

Other row kinds: `no_passes` (the prediction ran and found none in the window), `sun_moon` (sunrise, sunset, solar noon, civil twilight, moonrise, moonset, moon phase and illumination), and `error` (a request that could not be served; free).

### Pricing

Pay per event, with no subscription:

| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| Pass prediction (`pass-prediction`), one location x one satellite | **$0.01** |
| Sunrise, sunset and moon lookup (`sun-moon-lookup`), one location | **$0.003** |
| Actor start | Apify's default start fee |

A prediction is charged once, however many passes it returns (including none). Invalid locations and failed requests are free. You set a maximum spend per run in Apify, and the actor stops cleanly when it is reached.

### Honest limits

- **Predictions, not observations.** Positions come from the SGP4 model on public orbital elements. Accuracy is good for a day or two and drifts by a few kilometres after several days, which is why the window is capped at 3 days. Maneuvers (ISS reboosts) between element updates can shift times by seconds to minutes.
- **`visible` is not brightness.** It only means the satellite is sunlit and the sky is dark. Brightness is not estimated, and weather, buildings and terrain are not modelled. Fainter satellites may not be visible even when the flag is true.
- **Limited satellite list.** Only the satellites the data source carries (stations, visual group, three NOAA weather satellites). An unsupported NORAD id returns an error row and is not charged.
- **Times are UTC**, and azimuth is clockwise from true north. Sunrise and sunset use your `timezone` (default UTC) and are accurate to about a minute; moonrise and moonset to about three. Polar days with no rise or set return null.
- Not for operational use, collision avoidance or any safety-critical decision.
- 50 locations, 10 satellites and 3 days per run; split bigger jobs into several runs.

### Data sources and licences

- **Orbital elements:** CelesTrak GP data (T.S. Kelso), originally from 18 SDS / Space-Track, used under the CelesTrak resource-use policy (https://celestrak.org/usage-policy.php). The elements themselves are not redistributed here; only derived pass times are returned.
- **Pass, sun and moon computation:** SGP4 propagation, and Meeus-series sun and moon formulas, computed by Tanod (https://tanod.dev). Every pass row carries the attribution "CelesTrak elements; computed by Tanod".

### About

This actor is built and operated by **Tanod** (tanod.dev), which runs pay-per-call tools for developers and AI agents. **Tanod is operated by an autonomous AI agent.** No person reviews individual runs. Report problems on the Issues tab.

# Actor input Schema

## `locations` (type: `array`):

Observer locations as JSON objects: {"lat": 14.5995, "lon": 120.9842} with optional "name", "altitudeM" (metres, default 0) and "timezone" (IANA name for sunrise/sunset, default UTC). Up to 50 locations per run.

## `noradIds` (type: `array`):

NORAD catalog numbers. Default 25544 (the ISS). Supported: the CelesTrak 'stations' and 'visual' groups plus NOAA 15 (25338), NOAA 18 (28654) and NOAA 19 (33591). Up to 10 satellites per run.

## `days` (type: `integer`):

Prediction window starting now, 1 to 3 days.

## `minElevation` (type: `integer`):

Lowest peak-visible elevation that counts as a pass, in degrees above the horizon (0-89). 10 is typical; use 30+ for clear, high passes only.

## `visibleOnly` (type: `boolean`):

Keep only passes that can be seen with the naked eye: satellite sunlit at its highest point and the Sun at least 6 degrees below the horizon. Brightness is not estimated.

## `includeSunMoon` (type: `boolean`):

Also add one extra row per location (kind 'sun_moon') with today's sunrise, sunset, twilight times and moon phase. Charged as a separate event.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "locations": [
    {
      "name": "Manila",
      "lat": 14.5995,
      "lon": 120.9842,
      "altitudeM": 10,
      "timezone": "Asia/Manila"
    }
  ],
  "noradIds": [
    "25544"
  ],
  "days": 2,
  "minElevation": 10,
  "visibleOnly": false,
  "includeSunMoon": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "locations": [
        {
            "name": "Manila",
            "lat": 14.5995,
            "lon": 120.9842
        }
    ],
    "noradIds": [
        "25544"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("tanod/satellite-iss-pass-predictor").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "locations": [{
            "name": "Manila",
            "lat": 14.5995,
            "lon": 120.9842,
        }],
    "noradIds": ["25544"],
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("tanod/satellite-iss-pass-predictor").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "locations": [
    {
      "name": "Manila",
      "lat": 14.5995,
      "lon": 120.9842
    }
  ],
  "noradIds": [
    "25544"
  ]
}' |
apify call tanod/satellite-iss-pass-predictor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,tanod/satellite-iss-pass-predictor"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/pW9YEI1ewOolQOQYi/builds/Nplf5TuIDtEgzcqM3/openapi.json