Where is Hubble right now? Track it live.
Real-time position of the Hubble Space Telescope (NORAD 20580), passes over your own sky with alerts, what it has been observing, and the latest discoveries — computed second by second from the newest orbital data.
01 Live orbit
Hubble's position, ground track (one orbit back and ahead), the area that can see it, and day/night on Earth — as a flat map or a 3D globe at true altitude scale with city lights on the night side. Long-press or right-click the map to set your location.
Telemetry (computed)
- Latitude
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- Longitude
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- Altitude
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- Speed
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- Orbit progress
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- Inclination
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- Period
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- Apogee / perigee
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- Orbits per day
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- Sinking rate
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- Time in orbit
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- Element set epoch
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- Data age
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- Source
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- Next data refresh
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Model: SGP4 propagation of the latest public two-line element set. Accuracy is best for fresh data and degrades as it ages.
02 Passes over your sky
Every time Hubble rises above your horizon in the next 3 days. Visible = Hubble sunlit, your sky dark (Sun ≥ 6° below horizon) and at least 10° high.
| Date | Rise | Highest | Max elev. | Set | Duration | Naked eye |
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Times shown in your device's time zone (). Directions: compass bearing where Hubble rises → sets. Grazing passes under 1° are omitted. Alerts fire while this app is open; installed apps on most phones keep alerts while in the background only briefly.
03 What Hubble has been observing
Most recent science observations from the public MAST archive (STScI), last 14 days. NASA publishes no real-time pointing feed; entries appear after the data are processed, typically hours to days later. Thumbnails show each target's patch of sky from the ground-based DSS2 survey — tap to zoom and download.
04 Latest Hubble discoveries
Press releases from ESA/Hubble. Tap Listen to hear any story.
05 Hubble image viewer & downloads
Browse NASA's library and the ESA/Hubble archive. Tap any image for the full-screen viewer — zoom, swipe, slideshow, favorites — and download anything from phone and 4K wallpapers to full-resolution originals.
Take Hubble in your pocket
Install Rev Hubble Watch on your phone, tablet or computer: launches full-screen from your home screen, opens instantly, and keeps your location and alert settings. No app store, free.
iPhone/iPad: Safari → Share → Add to Home Screen. Android: Chrome menu → Install app. Desktop: install icon in the address bar.
06 Mission status & facts
The telescope that changed how we see the universe.
Health & orbit status
- Pointing control: Hubble has operated in one-gyro mode since June 2024 after a gyroscope fault, accepting slower repositioning (NASA estimated ~12% efficiency loss). As of February 2026 reporting, three of its six gyros had failed and a fourth showed degradation. SpacePolicyOnline · The Register
- Orbit: currently about — up and sinking about — (live, from orbital data). In 2024 NASA said the orbit is adequate into the mid-2030s; a February 2026 analysis by astronomer Jonathan McDowell suggested reentry could come as early as 2028 without a reboost. Estimates depend heavily on solar activity — treat any date as uncertain.
- Science: Hubble continues to release new results — see the latest discoveries above.
07 Frequently asked questions
Where is the Hubble Space Telescope right now?
The map and tiles above show it live. Rev Hubble Watch computes Hubble's position every second from its latest published orbital elements (NORAD 20580) using the SGP4 model, including altitude, speed and whether it is in sunlight.
Can I see Hubble with the naked eye?
Often, yes. Hubble looks like a steady, star-like point gliding across the sky — no blinking lights. You can see it when it is lit by the Sun while your sky is dark, usually within an hour or two after sunset or before sunrise. Set your location in the Passes section: naked-eye opportunities are marked in gold.
Why can't people far north or south see Hubble?
Hubble orbits at a 28.5° inclination and a low altitude, so it never rises above the horizon for observers beyond roughly 50° north or south, and passes higher than 10° are limited to about 42° north or south. Most of Europe, Canada and northern Asia can't see it.
What is Hubble looking at right now?
NASA does not publish a real-time pointing feed. The Observing section lists Hubble's most recent science observations from the public MAST archive at STScI — target, instrument, filters, exposure and sky coordinates — which appear after the data are processed, typically hours to days later.
How accurate is the position shown?
Typically within a few kilometers to tens of kilometers when the orbital data are fresh; error grows as the data age. The Telemetry panel shows the data's age and the app warns you when it is stale or when a data source is down — it never invents a position.
Can I download Hubble images?
Yes. Open any image in the viewer and tap the gold Download button to pick a size — phone and 4K desktop wallpapers, large JPEGs, or the full-resolution original (some originals are TIFF files for photo editors). Tap ☆ to save favorites and download them all as one ZIP. Hubble images are generally free to use with credit to NASA and ESA; check the source page for any specific terms.
Is Hubble's orbit decaying?
Yes. Atmospheric drag slowly lowers it; the live sinking rate is shown in Telemetry. Reentry estimates differ (NASA in 2024: adequate into the mid-2030s; a 2026 independent analysis: possibly as early as 2028 without a reboost) and depend strongly on solar activity.
How do I install the app?
Tap “Get the app.” On Android and desktop Chrome/Edge it installs directly. On iPhone or iPad, open this page in Safari, tap Share, then “Add to Home Screen.”
Where does the data come from?
Orbital elements: CelesTrak (fallback: TLE API). Observations: MAST at the Space Telescope Science Institute. News and image archive: ESA/Hubble. Images: NASA Image and Video Library. Sky-survey views: DSS2 via CDS (Strasbourg). 3D globe imagery: NASA Visible Earth. Map tiles: Esri (fallback OpenStreetMap). All calculations run in your browser.