Predicted pass geometry, viewing conditions, and beam footprint data for Berlin when EARENDIL-1 — the first commercial orbital mirror — launches in mid-2026.
52.5°NLATITUDE
52°MAX ELEVATION
CET/CESTTIMEZONE
~−4PEAK MAGNITUDE
♦ PRE-LAUNCH — NO MIRROR IN ORBIT YET
EARENDIL-1 is targeting a mid-2026 launch pending FCC approval. There is currently no space mirror in orbit. Pass predictions for Berlin will go live on OrbitalNodes.ai from launch day — exact times, directions, and beam footprint data updated in real time.
PASS GEOMETRY
What to Expect in Berlin
LATITUDE AND PASS GEOMETRY
At 52.5°N in the Northern Hemisphere, EARENDIL-1 passes are rising in the SW and crossing toward the SE — standard northern hemisphere direction. Maximum elevation up to 52°. EARENDIL-1 orbits in sun-synchronous orbit at 600–650km altitude, meaning it will pass over Berlin multiple times per week when operational. The mirror is steerable — it will only be at full brightness during targeted commercial passes.
VIEWING WINDOW
OCT–MAR offers the best conditions. Berlin's major viewing challenge is its latitude: in June, sky stays nautical twilight all night. Stick to October through March for real darkness. Like all satellites, EARENDIL-1 is only visible during twilight — when your sky is dark but the mirror is still in direct sunlight.
LIGHT POLLUTION BORTLE 8
City sky. EARENDIL-1 at magnitude ~−4 is bright enough to be clearly visible from central Berlin regardless of light pollution — comparable to Venus at maximum brightness. For darker skies, Märkische Schweiz (~80km east) or Müritz National Park (~150km north) offers better conditions.
LOCAL CONTEXT
At 52.5°N, Berlin is high enough that midsummer twilight never fully ends — from May to August, astronomical darkness barely exists, limiting satellite visibility. But winters here are excellent: long dark nights from 4pm and cold crisp air.
5KM BEAM FOOTPRINT
The 5km beam could target the area from Alexanderplatz to Potsdamer Platz. The flat North German Plain means no terrain obstruction.
OBSERVER GUIDE
What EARENDIL-1 Will Look Like from Berlin
From Berlin, EARENDIL-1 passes will appear as a fast-moving point of light crossing the sky in approximately 3–4 minutes. At peak brightness it will reach magnitude ~−4 — comparable to Venus at maximum and clearly visible even from the city centre. It will be one of the brightest objects in the sky during a pass.
The mirror is steerable — between targeted commercial passes, Reflect Orbital tilts it away from Earth, making it much dimmer. During an active pass you'll see a sudden brightening as the beam angle locks onto the target region, then abrupt dimming when the mirror tilts away again.
Track EARENDIL-1 from Berlin at Launch
OrbitalNodes.ai will provide real-time pass predictions for Berlin from the moment EARENDIL-1's orbital data is published. No app download required.