/satellite now
/satellite now [name] [norad_id]
Shows exactly where a satellite is right now (latitude,
longitude, altitude), plus a map of its ground track — the
path it traces over Earth’s surface — for about an hour on
either side of this moment. Defaults to the ISS if you don’t
give a name or norad_id.
Usage: just /satellite now for the ISS, or /satellite now name: HST (the Hubble Space Telescope’s actual Celestrak
name — a real, previously-caught documentation mistake used to
suggest “HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE” here instead, which was never
a valid search term) or /satellite now norad_id: 25544 for a
specific one — not both name and norad_id together. For
when it’ll pass over your specific location and be visible,
use /satellite passes instead.
name autocompletes ONLY from Celestrak’s own curated
“~100 brightest” list, sorted by actual observed brightness —
some real, valid satellites (Hubble/HST included, at around
magnitude 1-2.5) don’t make that particular cut and won’t be
suggested there, even though looking them up by their exact
Celestrak name (or by norad_id, which always works) still
succeeds.
Position comes from real orbital elements (a TLE from
Celestrak, cross-checked against N2YO for freshness — see
/satellite passes’ own help for the full details), not a
single reported point — which is also what makes the ground
track possible at all.
Parameters
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
name | No | Autocompletes bright/well-known satellites; any exact Celestrak name works too. Leave blank for the… |
norad_id | No | Optional: exact NORAD catalog number, e.g. 25544 for the ISS. Skips name search. |