You’re standing in your backyard, neck craned, looking at a pinprick of light moving way too fast to be a plane. It doesn’t blink. It doesn’t make a sound. You wonder, honestly, if you’re finally seeing something "unidentified."
Most of the time, the answer to what's flying over me is actually pretty mundane, but the technology we use to track it is anything but. We live in an era where the sky is crowded. Between the thousands of Starlink satellites, commercial flight paths that look like literal highways in the sky, and the occasional International Space Station (ISS) transit, there’s almost always something moving up there.
If you want to know what it is, you don’t need a radar dish. You just need the right data feeds.
The Secret Language of Transponders
Every commercial aircraft has a pulse. It’s called ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast). Basically, the plane screams its position, altitude, and velocity to anyone with an antenna.
Websites like Flightradar24 or ADS-B Exchange are the gold standard here. They use a global network of ground stations—mostly run by hobbyists with Raspberry Pi computers—to pick up these signals. When you look at these maps, you aren’t just seeing "a plane." You’re seeing tail numbers, flight history, and even the weather the pilot is dealing with at 35,000 feet.
Sometimes you’ll see a plane circling a specific area for hours. If it’s a small Cessna, it might be a student pilot practicing turns. If it’s a high-altitude jet with a weird callsign, it could be atmospheric research or even local law enforcement.
It's kinda wild how much is public.
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Why Some Planes Are "Ghosts"
You won't see everything. Military assets often fly "dark" or use different transponder modes that commercial sites filter out. If you see a formation of three lights but the map is empty, you’re likely looking at a military transport or a refueling mission.
Then there are the "blocked" tail numbers. Wealthy individuals or corporations can request that their flights be hidden from public tracking sites. However, sites like ADS-B Exchange don’t filter these, making them a favorite for people who want to see where the private jets are really going.
Those Weird "Train" Lights in the Sky
If you see a perfectly straight line of 20 to 60 lights moving in unison, don't panic. You haven't found a mothership. You've found Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites.
Since 2019, SpaceX has been launching these in "batches." Right after launch, they are bunched together in a "train" before they eventually move into their higher, permanent orbits. They are incredibly bright because their solar panels catch the sun even when it’s dark on the ground.
- The Flare Effect: Some satellites have highly reflective surfaces.
- The ISS: It’s the brightest thing up there besides the moon. It looks like a steady, fast-moving white light. It takes about six minutes to cross the sky.
- Iridium Flares: These used to be a big deal, where old communication satellites would catch the sun and "flash" for a few seconds. Most of those have been de-orbited now, so they’re rarer.
Honestly, the sheer volume of "stuff" in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is getting controversial. Astronomers are frustrated because these satellites leave streaks in long-exposure photos of distant galaxies. For you, the casual observer, it just means the sky is getting a lot busier.
How to Actually Identify What's Flying Over Me Right Now
Stop guessing. If you see something, use these tools immediately. Timing is everything because orbits and flight paths move fast.
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1. Heavens-Above
This is the old-school favorite. It’s not the prettiest website, but the data is impeccable. You put in your exact coordinates, and it gives you a "Sky Chart" of every satellite passing over you in the next 24 hours. It’ll tell you exactly how bright it will be (magnitude) and which constellation it’s passing through.
2. Stellarium
If you prefer a visual approach, Stellarium is an open-source planetarium. You can point your phone at the sky, and it uses your GPS and gyroscope to overlay names onto the stars and satellites. It’s basically an X-ray for the atmosphere.
3. Flightradar24 (The AR Feature)
This is the "wow" factor tool. Open the app, hit the "AR" button, and point your camera at a plane in the sky. It will overlay the flight number, destination, and airline directly onto your camera feed. It’s as close to having Jarvis-style HUD goggles as we’re going to get in 2026.
The Reality of UAPs (UFOs)
Let's address the elephant in the room. What if it isn't on the map?
The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has been more transparent lately about UAPs. Most "unexplained" sightings turn out to be sensor artifacts, weather balloons, or drones. Commercial drones are everywhere now, and they can do things planes can’t—like hovering perfectly still or moving at 60 mph and then stopping dead.
If you see a light that changes direction instantly or moves at a 90-degree angle, that’s when it gets interesting. Physics says a human-carrying craft can't do that without the G-forces liquifying the pilot. But before you call the local news, check if there’s a local drone show or a high-altitude balloon launch from a company like Raven Aerostar.
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Beyond the Visible: High-Altitude Balloons and Drones
Not everything has wings or an engine. High-altitude balloons are often used for internet testing or weather monitoring. They look like bright, stationary stars during the day because they’re sitting at 60,000 to 100,000 feet. Because they’re so high, they catch the sunlight long after the sun has set for you.
Drones are the biggest source of "new" sky clutter. Most consumer drones have FAA-mandated lights (red and green), but at a distance, they can just look like a hovering orb. If it’s lower than 400 feet, it’s almost certainly a drone.
Actionable Steps for Skywatching
If you’re serious about knowing what's flying over me, you need a small toolkit. You don't need a telescope—binoculars are actually better for tracking moving objects because they have a wider field of view.
- Check the ISS Schedule: Use NASA's "Spot the Station" website. It’ll send you a text message when the space station is about to fly over your house. It’s a great party trick.
- Download a Starlink Tracker: Find an app or site like "Find Starlink." It tells you exactly when a new "train" will be visible. These are the most spectacular sights in the modern sky.
- Look for the "Blink": If it blinks, it’s an aircraft. This is the FAA-required strobe. If the light is steady, it’s either a satellite or a planet.
- Learn the Planets: Jupiter and Venus are often mistaken for hovering aircraft because they are so bright. Venus stays near the horizon; Jupiter usually sits higher.
The next time you’re outside and see a mystery light, don't just wonder. Open a tracker. The data is there, waiting for you to tap into it. Identifying what's up there turns a moment of confusion into a moment of connection with the massive network of tech orbiting our planet.
Start by checking the ISS pass times for your zip code tonight. It’s the easiest "win" for a new skywatcher and genuinely impressive to see a football-field-sized laboratory screaming across the vacuum at 17,500 miles per hour.