Sky Tonight
Whether you use your eyes, binoculars or a telescope, the night sky offers endless discoveries. Happy stargazing!Sky Map
Celestial bearing and elevation at 01:52
This interactive sky map shows what is visible now from your location, including the Moon, planets, bright stars, meteor activity and satellite flyovers. Move the map horizontally to follow the sky through the night.
What’s Visible in the Sky Tonight — August 17
Sun
From your location, the Sun sets at 17:57 and nautical twilight ends at 18:59. The sky remains dark enough for stargazing until morning twilight begins at 03:25.Moon
The Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase and is about 25% illuminated. It rises at 08:46 and sets at 19:59.Planets
Venus: Visible from sunset until late evening. It is brighter than any star above the horizon, shining about 68 times brighter than Capella, the brightest star currently visible. Saturn: Visible from early morning until before midnight. Mars: Visible from early morning until before midnight.Stars
Notable stars include Capella, Aldebaran, and Deneb, among the brightest stars currently visible.Satellite Pass
The International Space Station is expected to pass overhead tonight from 02:27 to 02:29.Deep-Sky Objects
Notable deep-sky objects visible tonight include Andromeda Galaxy (M31), M39, and M35. They can be observed with binoculars or a small telescope.Highlights of Tonight’s Sky
Here is a brief selection of celestial objects and events you can explore tonight:
Solar System Objects
Approaching Eclipses
Solar and lunar eclipses expected within the next 30 days, with dates, visibility areas and observing times.
28 August 2026
Partial Lunar Eclipse
Global
96.9%
Local
96.9%
| Global | From your location | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Penumbral | 16:26-22:02 | 17:35-22:02 | |
| Partial | 17:35-20:54 | 17:35-20:53 | |
| Total | - | - |
Planets
See which planets are currently visible and check their rise and set times.
Active Meteor Showers
Perseids
Meteor shower
The Perseids meteor shower is active from July 22 to August 31 and peaks around August 10.
For the complete list of meteor showers, open the Active Meteor Showers.
Satellite Flyovers
A short list of the brightest upcoming satellite flyovers.
ISS (ZARYA)
Satellite pass tonight
The International Space Station, a habitable artificial satellite used for space research.
1 flyover expected tonight.
1 flyover expected tonight.
For the complete schedule, open the Satellites page.
Brightest Stars
Five of the brightest stars currently visible in the night sky.
Capella
Star
Capella, the sixth brightest star, is a yellow giant located in the constellation Auriga. Its brightness and close proximity to the celestial north pole make it easily identifiable.
Aldebaran
Star
Aldebaran is an orange giant star situated in the constellation Taurus. Its name means 'the follower' as it appears to follow the Pleiades star cluster across the sky.
Deneb
Star
Deneb is part of the Summer Triangle, one of the most luminous stars known. Located in the constellation Cygnus, it is a massive white supergiant and serves as a beacon in the night sky.
Bellatrix
Star
Bellatrix is a bright blue giant star located in the constellation Orion. It is one of the prominent stars forming Orion's Belt and is easily identifiable in the night sky.
Elnath
Star
Elnath is a binary star system located in the constellation Taurus. It is one of the brightest stars in Taurus and serves as one of the 'horns' of the celestial bull.
Explore the complete list of the brightest stars.
Double Stars
Discover the brightest double stars currently visible in the night sky.
05061+5858
5-star system
5-star system in Camelopardalis; primary and secondary magnitudes are 5.00 and 6.21, separated by 3 arcminutes.
04287+1552
8-star system
8-star system in Taurus; primary and secondary magnitudes are 3.74 and 3.94, separated by 5.7 arcminutes.
04254+2218
8-star system
8-star system in Taurus; primary and secondary magnitudes are 5.20 and 5.29, separated by 5.7 arcminutes.
03459+2433
6-star system
6-star system in Taurus; primary and secondary magnitudes are 5.75 and 6.42, separated by 2.5 arcminutes.
22497+6612
triple star system
triple star system in Cepheus; primary and secondary magnitudes are 3.61 and 6.50, separated by 16.7 arcminutes.
Nebulae
Discover the brightest nebulae currently visible in the night sky.
Andromeda Galaxy (M31)
Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way, containing over a trillion stars, located approximately 2.537 million light-years away.
M39
Open Cluster
An open star cluster containing approximately 30 stars, located approximately 800 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus.
M35
Open Cluster
An open star cluster containing over 1200 stars, located approximately 2,800 light-years away in the constellation Gemini.
M34
Open Cluster
An open star cluster containing over 400 stars, located approximately 1,400 light-years away in the constellation Perseus.
M37
Open Cluster
A rich open star cluster containing over 500 stars, located approximately 4,500 light-years away in the constellation Auriga.
For a complete list with locations, brightness and photos, open the Nebulae page.