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 03:12
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 5
Sun
From your location, the Sun sets at 17:30 and nautical twilight ends at 18:29. The sky remains dark enough for stargazing until morning twilight begins at 03:43.Moon
The Moon is in the Last Quarter phase and is about 37% illuminated. It rises at 21:15 and sets at 13:03.Planets
Venus: Visible from sunset until late evening. Venus is brighter than any star above the horizon, shining about 82 times brighter than Capella, the brightest star currently visible. Jupiter: Visible from early morning until before midnight. Saturn: Visible from early morning until before midnight. Mars: Visible from early morning until before midnight.Stars
Notable stars include Capella, Rigel, and Betelgeuse, among the brightest stars currently visible.Satellite Pass
The International Space Station is expected to pass overhead tonight from 03:30 to 03:35.Deep-Sky Objects
Notable deep-sky objects visible tonight include Andromeda Galaxy (M31), Orion Nebula (M42), 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pollux
Star
Pollux is part of the Gemini twins, a bright yellow-orange giant star. It is one of the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini, easily visible to the naked eye.
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.
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.
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.
For a complete list with locations, brightness and photos, open the Nebulae page.