Reentry watch · Starlink satellite
Starlink-1478: coming down
Starlink-1478 is expected to come back into the atmosphere on November 4, 2026 at 1:37 PM UTC, give or take 14 hours. Where it comes down depends on the exact time, which narrows as the day comes. SpaceX brings old Starlinks down on purpose, and they burn up completely.
- What
- Starlink satellite (STARLINK-1478)
- Catalog number
- 45755
- Launched
- Jun 13, 2020 (2020-038AB)
- Size on radar
- large
- Predicted
- November 4, 2026 at 1:37 PM UTC, give or take 14 hours
- Where it is then
- 46.4° N, 115.6° W, over Washington, near Spokane, heading northeast
- Updates
- 2 from Space-Track, the last on Nov 1, 2026, 1:09 PM UTC
Its path while the window is open
The map needs JavaScript. The list below names the cities near the path.
The line is where it would be at each moment of the window; the dot is where Space-Track expects it at the predicted time. Within the shaded band it could be seen, low in the sky, if it came down at that point.
Who might see it
Cities within about 1,000 km of the path while their sky is dark, if it comes down while passing them:
- San Diego: 70 km to the southwest, 4:03 AM PST
- Tijuana: 75 km to the west, 4:03 AM PST
- Riverside: 114 km to the east, 4:03 AM PST
- Portland: 116 km to the southeast, 5:36 AM PST
- Las Vegas: 120 km to the southeast, 4:04 AM PST
- Long Beach: 158 km to the south, 4:03 AM PST
- Anaheim: 161 km to the east, 4:03 AM PST
- Brisbane: 186 km to the west, 12:40 AM GMT+10
- Los Angeles: 189 km to the south, 4:03 AM PST
- Denver: 201 km to the northwest, 5:06 AM MST
- Gold Coast: 240 km to the west, 12:40 AM GMT+10
- Minneapolis: 253 km to the north, 6:09 AM CST
- Colorado Springs: 272 km to the northwest, 5:06 AM MST
- Adelaide: 285 km to the southeast, 1:07 AM GMT+10:30
- Phoenix: 298 km to the northwest, 5:04 AM MST
- Seattle: 303 km to the south, 5:36 AM PST
- Bakersfield: 312 km to the southeast, 4:03 AM PST
- Mesa: 317 km to the northwest, 5:04 AM MST
- Melbourne: 356 km to the northwest, 1:37 AM GMT+11
- Canberra: 443 km to the northwest, 1:38 AM GMT+11
- Newcastle: 455 km to the northwest, 1:39 AM GMT+11
- Fresno: 461 km to the southeast, 4:03 AM PST
- Tucson: 467 km to the northwest, 5:04 AM MST
- Omaha: 485 km to the northwest, 6:08 AM CST
From where you are
Whether its path passes within sight of you while your sky is dark.
or pick a place:
How the prediction changed
| Issued | Predicted time | Give or take |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2026, 1:09 PM UTC | Nov 4, 2026, 1:37 PM UTC | 14 hours |
| Oct 31, 2026, 6:54 PM UTC | Nov 4, 2026, 6:08 PM UTC | 19 hours |
What a reentry looks like
Satellites and rocket stages hit the air at about 28,000 km/h (17,000 mph). About 70 to 100 km up they start to glow and break apart, so from the ground it looks like a slow line of orange and white fireballs, often with glowing trails, moving across the sky together in a straight line. It can last from 30 seconds to a few minutes, and it can be seen from up to about 1,000 km away, low on the horizon.
Not a meteor: a meteor is over in a second or two. A reentry is slower, lasts longer, and usually breaks into a cluster of pieces. Not a plane: no blinking lights, and it doesn't turn.
Is it dangerous?
Almost never. Starlink satellites are built to burn up completely. Big rocket stages can drop a few tough parts, like fuel tanks, which nearly always land in the ocean. If you find something you think fell from space, don't touch it: take photos and call the local police.
Saw it? Report it Everything coming down
Predictions from Space-Track.org (USSPACECOM's reentry messages). They narrow as the day comes: a few days out the time is only known to within hours, in the last hours to within minutes. Tumbling objects can still come down outside the window. Paths are worked out from the newest orbit data.