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 18:56
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 18–August 19
Sun
From your location, the Sun sets at 17:54 and nautical twilight ends at 18:56. The sky remains dark enough for stargazing until morning twilight begins at 03:27.Moon
The Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase and is about 40% illuminated. It rises at 10:53 and sets at 20:56.Planets
Venus: Visible from sunset until late evening. It is brighter than any star above the horizon, shining about 60 times brighter than Arcturus, the brightest star currently visible. Saturn: Visible from early morning until sunrise. Mars: Visible from early morning until sunrise.Stars
Notable stars include Arcturus, Vega, and Capella, among the brightest stars currently visible.Deep-Sky Objects
Notable deep-sky objects visible tonight include Andromeda Galaxy (M31), Small Sagittarius Star Cloud, and M39. 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.
No bright satellite flyovers are expected in the next hour.
For the complete schedule, open the Satellites page.
Brightest Stars
Five of the brightest stars currently visible in the night sky.
Arcturus
Star
Arcturus, the fourth brightest star, is an orange giant in the constellation Boötes. Its distinctive hue and brightness make it easily recognizable in the night sky.
Vega
Star
Vega, the fifth brightest star, is part of the constellation Lyra. It is one of the most luminous stars visible from Earth and a prominent member of the Summer Triangle asterism.
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.
Betelgeuse
Star
Betelgeuse, the tenth brightest star, is a red supergiant in the constellation Orion. It is one of the largest known stars and exhibits noticeable variability in brightness.
Altair
Star
Altair is a bright white star located in the constellation Aquila. It is one of the closest stars visible to Earth and forms one vertex of the prominent Summer Triangle asterism.
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.
20210-1447
8-star system
8-star system in Capricornus; primary and secondary magnitudes are 3.10 and 6.08, separated by 3.4 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.
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.
M24
Association of stars
The Sagittarius Star Cloud, a vast Milky Way star field and nebulous region, visible to the naked eye in the constellation Sagittarius.
M39
Open Cluster
An open star cluster containing approximately 30 stars, located approximately 800 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus.
M25
Open Cluster
An open star cluster containing over 60 stars, visible to the naked eye under dark skies, located in the constellation Sagittarius.
M10
Globular Cluster
A globular cluster containing roughly 100,000 stars, located approximately 14,300 light-years away in the constellation Ophiuchus.
For a complete list with locations, brightness and photos, open the Nebulae page.