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 18:27
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 — September 12–September 13
Sun
From your location, the Sun sets at 17:18 and nautical twilight ends at 18:16. The sky remains dark enough for stargazing until morning twilight begins at 03:51.Moon
The Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase and is about 5% illuminated. It rises at 06:27 and sets at 17:59.Planets
Venus: Visible from sunset until late evening. Venus is brighter than any star above the horizon, shining about 78 times brighter than Vega, the brightest star currently visible. Jupiter: Visible from early morning until sunrise. Saturn: Visible from late evening until sunrise. Mars: Visible from early morning until sunrise.Stars
Notable stars include Vega, Capella, and Rigel, among the brightest stars currently visible.Satellite Pass
HST is expected to pass overhead tonight from 18:28 to 18:31.Deep-Sky Objects
Notable deep-sky objects visible tonight include Beehive, Andromeda Galaxy (M31), and Orion Nebula (M42). 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
Planets
See which planets are currently visible and check their rise and set times.
Satellite Flyovers
A short list of the brightest upcoming satellite flyovers.
HST
Satellite pass tonight
The Hubble Space Telescope, used for astronomical observations and discoveries.
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.
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.
Rigel
Star
Rigel, the seventh brightest star, is a blue supergiant in the constellation Orion. It is one of the most massive and luminous stars visible to the naked eye.
Procyon
Star
Procyon, the eighth brightest star, is a binary system in the constellation Canis Minor. Its name means 'before the dog' as it rises just before Sirius, the 'Dog Star'.
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.
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.
M44
Open Cluster
The Beehive Cluster, an open star cluster containing over 1,000 stars, located approximately 577 light-years away in the constellation Cancer.
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.
Orion Nebula (M42)
Star cluster + Nebula
The Orion Nebula, a bright emission nebula and star-forming region, containing over 700 stars, located approximately 1,344 light-years away in the constellation Orion.
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.
M25
Open Cluster
An open star cluster containing over 60 stars, visible to the naked eye under dark skies, located in the constellation Sagittarius.
For a complete list with locations, brightness and photos, open the Nebulae page.