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 18:02
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 24–September 25
Sun
From your location, the Sun sets at 16:57 and nautical twilight ends at 17:54. The sky remains dark enough for stargazing until morning twilight begins at 04:03.Moon
The Moon is in the Waxing Gibbous phase and is about 96% illuminated. It rises at 16:01 and sets at 03:54.Planets
Jupiter: Visible from early morning until sunrise. Saturn: Visible from evening until sunrise. Mars: Visible from before midnight until sunrise.Stars
Notable stars include Sirius, Vega, and Capella, among the brightest stars currently visible.Satellite Pass
The International Space Station is expected to pass overhead tonight from 18:05 to 18:08.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
Close Approaches
See when celestial objects appear close together, with timing, separation and observing details.
Saturn near Moon — closest 6.19°
26 September 2026 at 21:38
The close approach will occur on 26 September 2026 at 21:38. Moon and Saturn will be separated by roughly 6.19°. Both objects will be above the horizon and can be observed.
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.
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.
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'.
Explore the complete list of the brightest stars.
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.
M39
Open Cluster
An open star cluster containing approximately 30 stars, located approximately 800 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus.
For a complete list with locations, brightness and photos, open the Nebulae page.