Orbital pass

[1] The timing and duration of passes depends on the characteristics of the orbit a satellite occupies, as well as the ground topography and any occulting objects on the ground (such as buildings), or in space (for planetary probes, or for spacecraft using relay satellites).

[3] Path loss is greatest toward the start and end of a ground pass,[4] as is Doppler shifting for Earth-orbiting satellites.

[2] A number of web-based and mobile applications produce predictions of passes for known satellites.

A satellite flare occurs when sunlight is reflected by flat surfaces on the spacecraft.

The International Space Station, the largest artificial satellite of Earth, has a maximum apparent magnitude of –5.9,[7] brighter than the planet Venus.