Night sky for tonight: Visible planets, stars and more in this evening's sky
The night sky is full of wonder, here's what to look out for tonight.
SEPT. 6 - A CRESCENT MOON AND SPICA (AFTER SUNSET)
Look due west again tonight just after sunset, and with a clear view low to the west-southwest horizon, you'll see a crescent moon a little higher in the sky.
This time, Venus will be farther to the lower right of the crescent moon, close to the horizon. Now around 13% illuminated, it should be possible to see a trace of light on the moon's dark side, opposite the crescent. That's sunlight reflected from Earth onto the moon; it's called "Da Vinci glow," "planet-shine," or "Earthshine."
Look carefully, and you'll see a star to the moon's right. That's Spica in Virgo, one of the brightest stars that the moon appears to frequently pass on its monthly journey around Earth. — Jamie Carter
THURSDAY, SEPT. 5 - A CRESCENT MOON AND VENUS (AFTER SUNSET)
Look west just after sunset for a remarkable sight denied to stargazers since last year. The two brightest objects in the sky aside from the sun — the moon and Venus — will tonight shine about six degrees (the span of your three middle fingers held at arm's length) from each other for a short time after sunset.
You'll need a good view low to the western horizon (try a tall building or observe from a west-facing beach). The crescent moon will be very delicate and may require binoculars. Venus is known as the "Evening Star" in its current apparition because it's visible after sunset. — Jamie Carter
Related: Night sky, September 2024: What you can see tonight [maps]
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 4 - YOUNG MOON VISITS VENUS
As the sun sets on Wednesday, Sept. 4 the waxing crescent moon will be just above the western horizon near a bright Venus. A very thin crescent moon will be located just several finger-widths to Venus' lower right (to its celestial west) — close enough that both can be seen by binoculars (orange circle in the image above).
Skywatchers viewing the pair from southerly latitudes will be able to see the moon more easily, as the pair will be close to the horizon at sunset for everyone else.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 4 - MERCURY (PRE-DAWN)
Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, is rarely seen. Since it orbits so close to our star, it's typically lost in its glare and impossible to see. That changes occasionally when its position in the solar system relative to Earth puts it temporarily high above the horizon on a few successive days. It can only ever be visible from Earth just before sunrise or just after sunset. The former is the case tonight, with Mercury's so-called "greatest western elongation" from the sun (at 18 degrees) placing it just above the eastern horizon about half an hour before sunrise this morning. You'll need a good view low to the eastern horizon, but at magnitude +0.4 the tiny planet is relatively dim — don't expect much more than a red dot. It's worth returning at the same time on Saturday, Sept. 8, when Mercury appears a little higher in the sky. — Jamie Carter
TUESDAY, SEPT. 3 - NORTHERN LIGHTS (AFTER SUNSET)
There is no guarantee of northern lights tonight, or any night this month, but something about September makes them more likely and, in theory, more intense. Given that the nights are drawing in in the northern hemisphere, and the moon sets early all this week, it may be a good week to see them at lower latitudes than is typical.
The reason is what's known as the Russell-McPherron Effect. It's a hypothesis from a paper published in 1973 that the tilt of the Earth's axis at the time of equinox (which occurs on Sept. 22) puts it side-on to the sun, meaning Earth's magnetic field is aligned to the solar wind. This means a greater chance of more intense geomagnetic storms, which cause aurora displays.
You'll need to consult the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center to see if there's a favorable prediction tonight (a G4 or a G5 geomagnetic storm is what you want if you live in mid-northern latitudes), but aurora hunters often claim that the equinoxes are the best times for beautiful displays. Pay special attention to NOAA's 3-day Forecast and the prediction for the aurora view line for tonight and tomorrow. — Jamie Carter
Related: Aurora season is here: What to expect from the northern lights in 2024/25
What to look out for this weekend
SATURDAY, AUG. 31 - AUGURID METEOR SHOWER (PRE-DAWN)
It won't be a spectacular display, but expect about six "shooting stars" per hour as the Aurigid meteor shower peaks tonight. It's named after the Auriga constellation, which will rise in the northeast around midnight and highest just before dawn breaks. It's not worth staying up for per se, but if you're out stargazing in the early hours today, keep an eye out for fast-moving meteors. The Aurigids are active each year from Aug. 28 through Sept. 4.— Jamie Carter
SUNDAY, SEPT. 1 - CRESCENT MOON AND MERCURY (PRE-DAWN)
Mercury orbits the sun every 88 days, closer to the sun than Earth, so we see it briefly emerge from the sun's glare only now and again. Today, it will be just below and right from a very slim crescent moon about an hour before sunrise in the pre-dawn sky. It won't be easy to see with the naked eye, but the moon will help you find it. Look out for mesmerizing Earthshine (sunlight is reflected off Earth) on the moon's dark side. — Jamie Carter
MONDAY, SEPT. 2 - FALSE DAWN (PRE-DAWN)
On Monday, Sept. 2, at 9:55 p.m. EDT, the moon will officially reach its new moon phase. It’s impossible to see because it’s roughly between the Earth and the sun, so lost in the latter’s glare (unless there's a solar eclipse, which is precisely what will happen next month when an annular solar eclipse will be seen from the southern hemisphere). That makes it the perfect night to see faint objects in the night sky. If you can get far away from light pollution, September is a great time to see the “false dawn” or zodiacal light, which becomes visible about an hour before sunrise in the eastern sky. It is sunlight scattered off dust in the solar system and is brightest close to the autumnal equinox, which will occur later this month. — Jamie Carter
Related: Wonder at the 'false dawn' of zodiacal light in early autumn
FRIDAY, AUG. 30 - CRESCENT MOON AND THE WINTER STARS (PRE-DAWN)
Look to the east for a view on the morning of Aug. 30, of a slim, waning crescent moon in the subtle light of dawn. Just a tenth of its surface will be sun-lit as it glides below two stars, Castor and Pollux, in the constellation Gemini. The top star, Castor, is 51 light-years distant, while the yellowish Pollux, between it and the moon, is 34 light-years away. These "twins" of Gemini are best known as winter evening stars. Look to the right, and you'll see other winter stars, including the three famous stars of Orion's Belt — Mintaka, Alnilam and Alnitak — and ruddy Betelgeuse. This red supergiant will one day go supernova. — Jamie Carter
WEDNESDAY AUG 28 - CATCH 6 PLANETS ACROSS THE SKY
From late August to early September mornings, six planets — Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn — will be visible across the morning sky. Looking East. South and West, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be relatively easy to spot the other three will be a bit more of a challenge.
You'll need a small telescope or binoculars to see the dimmer planets Uranus and Neptune and Mercury will only appear about 30 minutes or so before sunrise.
You can use a program like Stellarium to discover what is visible in the night sky from your viewing location at a particular time.
TUESDAY, AUG. 27: WATCH ALGOL BRIGHTEN
The summer nights are perfect for observing the strange star Algol (or Beta Persei) in the constellation Perseus. It is one of the most easy-to-monitor variable stars.
During a ten-hour period that repeats every 2 days, 20 hours, and 49 minutes, Algol dims noticeably and then re-brightens when a companion star with an orbit nearly edge-on to Earth crosses behind the much brighter main star, reducing the total light output we perceive.
Algol normally shines at magnitude 2.1, similar to the nearby star Almach in Andromeda. But while dimmed to minimum brightness, Algol's magnitude of 3.4 is almost the same as the star Rho Persei (ρ Per), which shines just two finger widths to Algol's lower right (or 2.25 degrees to the celestial south). — Chris Vaughan
MONDAY, AUG. 26 - THIRD QUARTER MOON
A third (or last) quarter moon looks half-lit and appears around midnight. The sight of it rising in the east late at night can be dramatic. This moon phase is much-loved by naked-eye stargazers precisely because it rises so late, leaving the early evening night sky dark enough to see faint constellations and deep sky targets.
A third-quarter moon always sets in the western daytime sky in the early afternoon. Over the next week, it will shrink to a crescent moon, which will be best seen in the east in the pre-dawn hours towards the end of this week. — Jamie Carter
TUESDAY, AUG. 27 - CRESCENT MOON, JUPITER AND MARS
From the wee hours until dawn on Tuesday morning, Aug. 27, the pretty, waning crescent moon will shine above the planets Jupiter and Mars in the eastern sky, setting up a nice widefield photo opportunity. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
In the very early hours of this morning, a plump crescent moon will rise in the east above a couple of planets. Directly below will be Jupiter, shining at a magnitude -2.2, followed by Mars at +2. To the right of Jupiter will be Aldebaran, the brightest star in the Taurus constellation, while above all of that will be the sparkling Pleiades open cluster of stars. Look at the same time on Wednesday, Aug. 28, and you'll see a slimmer crescent moon alongside Mars. — Jamie Carter
THURSDAY, AUG. 22 - SMALL CONSTELLATIONS ON HIGH
On late August evenings, four small constellations sit high in the southeastern sky below the very bright star Vega. The easiest one to see is Delphinus, the Dolphin, which is composed of four medium-bright stars forming a small elongated diamond connected to a star extending to the lower right (or celestial southwest).
Equuleus, the Little Horse is positioned about a fist's diameter below Delphinus. Diminutive Equuleus is the second to last constellation by size, after Crux, the Southern Cross. Sitting a generous fist's width above Delphinus is the next smallest constellation by area, Sagitta, the Arrow. And sweeping a palm's width higher will bring you to the stars of Vulpecula, the Fox.
Except for the slightly larger fox, each of these small constellations will fit within the field of view of binoculars. The Milky Way passes through Sagitta and Vulpecula, populating them with a variety of deep sky objects. The sky between those two constellations hosts a dark dust lane. -- Chris Vaughan
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 21 - LOOK FOR HARPALUS CRATER
It's not every day you can gaze at the moon and spot a landmark from one of the most iconic sci-fi films. The Harpalus crater served as the rocket landing site in the 1950s movie "Destination Moon."
Due to its close proximity to the lunar north pole, the Harpalus crater is significantly foreshortened when viewed from Earth, often appearing more oval than circular. But the moon's axial wobble, known as libration, occasionally but regularly tilts features close to the edge toward us and then away, letting us get a peek 'around the edge' of the moon.
This month, Harpalus will be well placed for observation as the crater will be tipped slightly toward us. When viewed through a small telescope you'll be able to make out the details on the walls and floor of the 25-mile (40 kilometers) wide crater and even another small crater within it.
The crater remains fully illuminated until Aug. 27, when the terminator (the division between the illuminated and dark hemispheres) will return and plunge the crater back into darkness, by Sept. 5 the crater will be out of view. -- Daisy Dobrijevic
TUESDAY, AUG. 20 - MOON AND SATURN (ALL NIGHT)
Saturn will reach its annual opposition in just a few weeks when it will be at its biggest and brightest in Earth's sky of the entire year. Tonight there's a preview, when it appears next to an almost full moon. Rising in the east after sunset at about 9:30 p.m. local time, the two will shine together all night. However, it's always impossible to glimpse Saturn's famous ring pattern with the naked eye. You'll need a small telescope for that.
If you rise early in the morning on Aug. 21, wherever you are, you'll see the pretty sight of the moon and Saturn setting together in the southwestern sky before sunrise. However, if you're in parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Europe, the moon will pass in front of Saturn, blocking it from view for a short period. Countries with a good view include Brazil, Portugal, Spain, France and the U.K., according to In-The-Sky.org. From the U.K., this lunar occultation will take place from 4:25 to 5:23 a.m. GMT on Aug. 21. — Jamie Carter
MONDAY, AUG. 19 - FULL STURGEON 'BLUE SUPERMOON'
The moon is the easiest target for the naked eye, but when you look at it does make a big difference. Although August's full moon will become officially 100%-lit at 2:26 p.m. EDT, 11:26 a.m. PDT and 18:26 GMT, the time to look at it will be moonrise. It's much easier to look at the moon as it appears on the eastern horizon, draped in subtle orangey light, compared to just 20 minutes later, when it will have risen higher into the sky and become a lot brighter and whiter.
The full moon is always at its most impactful when viewed on the horizon, thanks to the moon illusion. Today's full moon will be slightly bigger than usual because it will be slightly closer to Earth on its elliptical orbital path — hence the name 'supermoon' — though that will be virtually impossible to detect. It will also be a 'Blue Moon' thanks to a calendar quirk; it will be the third of four full moons in the astronomical season of summer. However, at no point will the moon look blue. — Jamie Carter
You can watch the Supermoon Blue Moon rise today in a free livestream starting at 3:30 p.m. EDT (1930 GMT), weather permitting.
FRIDAY, AUG. 16 - LATE AFTERNOON MOON (DAYLIGHT)
As the moon waxes towards being full next week, it rises earlier and will be easy to see shining brightly after dark, but it's visible many hours before sunset. Today, the moon will rise about 90% and be illuminated in the southeast at about 6:30 p.m. local time. The late-afternoon moon occurs because the moon is orbiting the Earth from west to east, traveling 13 degrees every 24 hours, thus rising around 50 minutes earlier each day. It will be a beautiful sight in a blue sky for a short time and dominate the post-sunset twilight sky. — Jamie Carter
THURSDAY AUG. 15: LOOK OUT FOR JUPITER AND MARS
Just after midnight local time, Jupiter and Mars will come up over the east-northeast horizon and will be well-placed for viewing an hour or two later.
Jupiter will shine at magnitude -2.2 and Mars +0.8, but despite their large difference in brightness, the pair will make for an interesting skywatching sight.
The pair will appear very cozy in the night sky, appearing just 20 or so arc minutes apart, meaning you'll be able to fit both planets in the view of a telescope, with low-to-moderate magnification.
WEDNESDAY AUG. 14 - COMPARE THE COLORS OF STARS
Bright stars in the summer night sky are a great skywatching target for those in the Northern Hemisphere.
If you look at them long enough you should notice that they shine different colors. The color of a star is controlled by the temperature of its photosphere — the outer 'shell' which radiates light.
The colors change blue to white to yellow to orange, as temperature decreases, with the coolest stars appearing red.
The three prominent stars of the Summer Triangle asterism in the eastern sky —Deneb, Vega, and Altair — are A-class stars that appear blue-white to the naked eye, with temperatures ranging from 7,500 to 10,000 Kelvin. In contrast, Arcturus, visible in the western evening sky, is an orange K-class giant star with a temperature of around 4,300 K. Meanwhile, the reddish Antares, the heart of the Scorpius constellation, is an older M-class star with a cooler surface temperature of 3,500 K.
After midnight local time, look for the very bright, yellowish Capella rising in the northeast. You can estimate the temperatures of dimmer stars by comparing their color to these bright reference stars.
TUESDAY, AUG. 13 - MOON AND ANTARES (EVENING)
Look to the south immediately after sunset, and you'll see a waxing gibbous moon, now more than half-lit, shining brightly. Look to its upper left, and you may spy Antares, a reddish star now at its best. It's the brightest star in the iconic constellation of Scorpius and about 555 light-years from the solar system. Squint at it, and you'll more easily notice its reddish hue. The later you look, the closer the moon and Antares will be. From the South Pacific, the moon will occult (block) Antares, according to In-The-Sky.org. — Jamie Carter
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14 - JUPITER AND MARS IN CONJUNCTION (PRE-DAWN)
It will be worth getting up early for this, one of the closest conjunctions between planets this year. Visible in the southeast from about 2 a.m. local time until sunrise, Mars and Jupiter will get to just a third of a degree apart (a third of the width of your little finger held at arm's length). However, Jupiter, at magnitude -2.2, will be about 15 times brighter than Mars at magnitude +0.8. Although the two planets will appear at their closest this morning, it will be worth looking at the pair during the mornings before and after for a similar view. — Jamie Carter
MONDAY, AUG. 12 - PERSEID METEOR SHOWER (OVERNIGHT)
Early this morning, the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower took place, but don't despair if you missed it because of work or bad weather. Although you won't get another chance to see 50-75 "shooting stars" in an hour — as was possible last night — it will be wise to look skywards late tonight (preferably after midnight early on Tuesday, Aug.13) if skies are clear for the chance of a healthy number of bright meteors. If you can't escape to truly dark skies, keep any artificial lights away from your direct line of sight because there's always a chance of seeing one or two particularly bright "fireballs." The later you look, the higher the shower's radiant in Perseus will be in the northeastern sky. — Jamie Carter
You can also watch the Perseid meteor shower online for free with this livestream hosted by astrophysicist Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project. The livestream will begin at 9 p.m. EDT on Aug. 12 (0100 GMT on Aug. 13).
MONDAY, AUG. 12 - FIRST QUARTER MOON (EVENING)
Tonight, the moon's eastern side will appear to be half-lit — its so-called first quarter phase — as it reaches its 90-degree angle away from the sun on its monthly orbit of Earth. Since a first-quarter moon always rises around midday and sets around midnight, it begins to bleach the evening night sky to make it more difficult to see stars (and "shooting stars" from the Perseid meteor shower). It's nevertheless a beautiful sight for the naked eye. — Jamie Carter
SUNDAY, AUG. 11 — MONDAY, AUG. 12: PERSEID METEORS PEAK (PRE-DAWN)
There's no better time to see shooting stars from the northern hemisphere than tonight. At its peak, the annual Perseid meteor shower can produce around 60 meteors per hour visible in the night sky. The radiant point (where the meteors will appear to emanate from) will be the constellation Perseus, which will rise in the northeastern sky around midnight.
Meteor showers can often be marred by strong moonlight, but not so the Perseids this year since the First Quarter Moon will set around midnight. Look skywards during the early hours of Monday for the best chance of shooting stars, though light pollution and the clarity of the sky will make a huge difference. If you can, get away from light pollution — at least 40 miles from a major urban area is wise — but wherever you watch from, make sure you don’t have any artificial lights in your line of sight. Sit back, relax in a lawn chair, keep warm, and take regular breaks. Never look at your smartphone; its white light will ruin your eyes' dark adaption, which takes about 20 minutes to cultivate and just a single second of white light to ruin.
If you cannot look for Perseids in person, you can watch them live online here on Space.com courtesy of the Virtual Telescope Project. The first livestream will begin at 9 p.m. EDT on Aug. 11 (0100 GMT on Aug. 12,) the second will begin at 9 p.m. EDT on Aug. 12 (0100 GMT on Aug. 13) coinciding with the anticipated peak activity of the Perseid meteor shower.
FRIDAY, AUG. 9 — SATURDAY, AUGUST 10 - CRESCENT MOON, SPICA, ANTARES AND THE MILKY WAY (AFTER SUNSET)
About a quarter of the moon's Earth-facing side is now lit by the sun. Across two nights, it will appear on either side of Spica. Arcturus in the constellation Boötes will appear directly above the pair, while to the south, the Milky Way will rise after dark. However, to see the arc of our galaxy, you'll need to be well away from light pollution. -- Jamie Carter
THURSDAY, AUG. 8 — CRESCENT MOON, VENUS AND SPICA (AFTER SUNSET)
Here's another chance to see the crescent moon dominating the post-sunset evening sky, with Venus shining stubbornly close to the western horizon. Look at the moon's dark left side. Can you make out any details? Since no sunlight shines directly on it, it should be dark, right?
The light you can see is called "Planet-shine," "Earthshine," or "Da Vinci Glow." It's sunlight shining on Earth and reflecting onto the moon. It's easiest to see in a crescent moon a few days old. -- Jamie Carter
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 7 — CRESCENT MOON, VENUS AND SPICA (AFTER SUNSET)
A brighter, more obvious crescent moon will tonight be positioned about halfway between Venus, to its lower right, and bright star Spica, to its upper left. One of the 20 brightest stars in the night sky, Spica is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. -- Jamie Carter
