How do I know if a light is a satellite or a plane?

A satellite is a steady point of light that moves smoothly across the sky and does not blink or flash. An aircraft has blinking red and green navigation lights and usually a flashing strobe, and often you can eventually hear it. If the light is steady, silent, and gliding in a straight line, it is almost certainly a satellite.

What is the string of lights moving across the sky?

A straight line of evenly spaced moving dots is almost always a Starlink 'train' — a batch of SpaceX internet satellites recently launched into the same orbit, still bunched together before they spread out. It is one of the most commonly reported 'UFO' sightings and is entirely explained.

How can I tell which satellite is passing over me?

Use a live satellite tracker. Set your location and the tracker shows every satellite currently overhead in real time — including its name, operator, and orbit — so you can match the moving light you are seeing to a specific object such as the ISS, a Starlink satellite, or a weather satellite.

Is it a satellite or a shooting star?

A shooting star (meteor) is a brief, fast streak that lasts a fraction of a second to a couple of seconds. A satellite is a slow, steady point of light that takes several minutes to cross the sky. If it lingers and moves smoothly, it is a satellite, not a meteor.

Identify it · live tracker

What satellite is that? Identify the moving light over you

Saw a steady light gliding across the sky with no blinking and no sound? That's almost certainly a satellite — not a plane, not a UFO. Here's how to tell what you're looking at, and how to identify the exact satellite passing over you right now with a live tracker.

🛰️ Identify what's over you right now →

Satellite, plane, or meteor? A quick guide

Satellite: a steady point of light, moving smoothly in a straight line, no blinking, no sound, takes a few minutes to cross the sky.
Aircraft: blinking red/green lights plus a flashing strobe, and you'll often hear engines.
Meteor ("shooting star"): a brief bright streak lasting a second or two, then gone.
If it's steady, silent, and slow-gliding — it's a satellite.

The "string of lights" — that's Starlink

By far the most-reported "UFO" today is a straight line of evenly spaced dots moving together. That's a Starlink train — a fresh batch of SpaceX satellites still bunched in the same orbit before they disperse. Completely explained, and a great sight once you know what it is.

Identify the exact satellite

To name the specific object you're seeing, use the SkyLens live tracker. Set your location and it renders every satellite currently overhead in real time — with its name, operator, and orbit — so you can match the moving light to a real object: the ISS, a Starlink, a weather satellite, a rocket body, and more. It pulls live positions from the public CelesTrak catalog.

Open the live tracker →

Frequently asked questions

Satellite or plane?

Satellite = steady, silent, no blinking. Plane = blinking red/green lights, strobe, engine sound.

What's the string of lights in the sky?

A Starlink train — recently launched satellites still traveling together in a line.

Which satellite is passing over me?

Use a live tracker with your location — it names every satellite currently overhead.

Satellite or shooting star?

Meteors flash by in a second or two; satellites glide steadily for minutes.

Explore more

Spot the big ones: the ISS tonight, Starlink. Still unexplained? Browse declassified UFO files. Or open the live tracker.