Sky Tonight
Sky Map
Celectial bearing and elevation at 20:18
This skymap is a dynamic visualization that displays the positions of celestial objets in the night sky for your specific location on the current date. It allows you to interactively explore the celestial landscape by moving it horizontally, enabling you to preview how the arrangement of stars will change as the night progresses.
Celestial Delights for Your Night Sky Adventure
Tonight's celestial wonders are ready to amaze and inspire. Here's a brief list of what you can explore:
Solar System Objects
Sun
Our Star
Explore sunspots, flares, and prominences, revealing solar dynamics and activity. For safe observation, use solar filters or telescopes to protect your eyes.
Moon
1st Quarter (55%)
The Moon exhibits a stunning array of craters, mountains, and lunar maria, showcasing its rugged and varied surface in intricate detail, with phases changing as it orbits Earth.
Planets
See which planets are currently visible, along with their rise and set times, to help you plan your observations.
Jupiter
Outer Planet
Jupiter presents a captivating view with its prominent cloud bands, the iconic Great Red Spot, and up to four of its largest moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
Mars
Outer Planet
Mars, the "Red Planet", captivates stargazers with its distinct reddish hue, diverse surface features, and ongoing exploration potential for signs of life.
Saturn
Outer Planet
Saturn, the "Ringed Giant", enchants stargazers with its stunning ring system and gas giant beauty in the night sky.
Satellite Flyovers
A short list of upcoming brightest satellite flyovers.
No bright satellite flyovers are expected tonight.
To view the complete list, visit our Satellites page.
Brightest Stars
Check out the five brightest stars currently visible in the night sky.
Sirius
Star
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky, a binary star system located in the constellation Canis Major. Its brilliant white light is easily visible from Earth.
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.
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'.
If you've enjoyed learning about these five stunning celestial wonders, don't miss out on exploring our list of the brightest stars in the night sky
Double Stars
Discover the brightest double stars currently visible in the night sky.
04287+1552
Multiple Star System
5-star star system in the constellation Taurus with primary and secondary components of magnitudes 3.74 and 3.94, separated by 5.7 arcminutes.
04254+2218
Multiple Star System
8-star star system in the constellation Taurus with primary and secondary components of magnitudes 5.20 and 5.29, separated by 5.7 arcminutes.
10167+2325
Double Star
Double star system in the constellation Leo with primary and secondary components of magnitudes 3.46 and 6.03, separated by 5.2 arcminutes.
05061+5858
Multiple Star System
Quadruple star system in the constellation Camelopardalis with primary and secondary components of magnitudes 5.20 and 6.21, separated by 3 arcminutes.
03459+2433
Multiple Star System
6-star star system in the constellation Taurus with primary and secondary components of magnitudes 5.75 and 6.42, separated by 2.5 arcminutes.
Nebulae
Discover the brightest nebulae currently visible in the night sky.
Beehive (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.
M47
Open Cluster
An open star cluster containing over 500 stars, located approximately 1,600 light-years away in the constellation Puppis.
M41
Open Cluster
The Little Beehive Cluster, an open star cluster containing over 100 stars, located approximately 2,300 light-years away in the constellation Canis Major.
For a complete list of nebulae visible tonight, go to our Nebulae Page. There, you'll find detailed information on each nebula, including its location, brightness and photos.