What's worth observing tonight and when to catch it, for your gear and location. Choose a date and equipment to begin.

Tonight's sky

Showing New York's sky, not yours?

This timeline groups objects by the hour they're highest after dark. It's a suggestion, not a schedule: most objects are visible well before and after their slot, so use the rise and set times on each card to plan around your own session.

What you'll actually see depends on your equipment. Almost anything you can pick out in binoculars looks better in a telescope, and more aperture reaches fainter targets. A few big, wide objects like the Pleiades are the exception and frame better in binoculars. It also depends on your sky: light pollution washes out faint objects, so the same target shows far more from a dark site than from the city.

Dark 09:40 PM–04:23 AM · Moon 0% (down)

10 PM

PlanetsVenus
mag -4.2
Rises 09:18 AM (ENE)
Sets 10:38 PM (WNW)
Peaks 09:40 PM at 10° (W)
ClustersComa Star Cluster
In const. Coma Berenices
mag 1.8 · Cr256
Rises 10:02 AM (NE)
Sets 01:19 AM (NW)
Peaks 09:40 PM at 38° (W)
Carbon starsY Canum Venaticorum
In const. Canes Venatici
mag 4.9
Rises 08:02 AM (NNE)
Sets 04:24 AM (NNW)
Peaks 09:40 PM at 53° (WNW)
ClustersM4
In const. Scorpius
mag 5.4
Rises 05:30 PM (SE)
Sets 02:13 AM (SW)
Peaks 09:51 PM at 23° (S)
ClustersM5
In const. Serpens
mag 5.7
Rises 02:37 PM (E)
Sets 02:56 AM (W)
Peaks 09:40 PM at 50° (SSW)
ClustersM13
In const. Hercules
mag 5.8
Rises 01:28 PM (NE)
Sets 06:51 AM (NW)
Peaks 10:09 PM at 86° (S)
Carbon starsRY Draconis
In const. Draco
mag 6.3
Up all night
Peaks 09:40 PM at 53° (NNW)
GalaxiesM81
In const. Ursa Major
mag 6.9
Up all night
Peaks 09:40 PM at 36° (NNW)
GalaxiesM82
In const. Ursa Major
mag 8.4
Up all night
Peaks 09:40 PM at 36° (NNW)
Symbiotic starsAG Draconis
In const. Draco
mag 9.7
Up all night
Peaks 09:40 PM at 64° (N)
NebulaeOwl Nebula
In const. Ursa Major
mag 9.9 · M97
Up all night
Peaks 09:40 PM at 41° (NW)
Symbiotic starsT Coronae Borealis
In const. Corona Borealis
mag 10.2
Rises 01:46 PM (NE)
Sets 05:09 AM (NW)
Peaks 09:40 PM at 75° (S)
AsterismsDiamond of Virgo
In const. Multiple
Rises 11:37 AM (ENE)
Sets 01:33 AM (WNW)
Peaks 09:40 PM at 43° (WSW)

11 PM

ClustersM7difficult
In const. Scorpius
mag 3.3
Rises 07:44 PM (SE)
Sets 02:58 AM (SW)
Peaks 11:21 PM at 14° (S)
Double starsRas Algethi
In const. Hercules
mag 3.4
Rises 03:49 PM (ENE)
Sets 05:35 AM (WNW)
Peaks 10:42 PM at 64° (S)
NebulaeBarnard 72
In const. Ophiuchus
B72
Rises 06:17 PM (ESE)
Sets 03:25 AM (WSW)
Peaks 10:51 PM at 26° (S)

12 AM

NebulaeLagoon Nebula
In const. Sagittarius
mag 4.6 · M8
Rises 07:00 PM (ESE)
Sets 04:02 AM (WSW)
Peaks 11:31 PM at 25° (S)
ClustersM22
In const. Sagittarius
mag 5.2
Rises 07:31 PM (ESE)
Sets 04:37 AM (WSW)
Peaks 12:04 AM at 25° (S)
Variable starsR Scuti
In const. Scutum
mag 5.2
Rises 06:32 PM (E)
Sets 05:57 AM (W)
Peaks 12:15 AM at 44° (S)
ClustersWild Duck Cluster
In const. Scutum
mag 5.8 · M11
Rises 06:38 PM (E)
Sets 05:59 AM (W)
Peaks 12:18 AM at 43° (S)
NebulaeM17
In const. Sagittarius
mag 6.0
Rises 06:44 PM (ESE)
Sets 04:53 AM (WSW)
Peaks 11:48 PM at 33° (S)
NebulaeEagle Nebula
In const. Serpens
mag 6.0 · M16
Rises 06:33 PM (ESE)
Sets 05:00 AM (WSW)
Peaks 11:46 PM at 35° (S)
NebulaeTrifid Nebula
In const. Sagittarius
mag 6.3 · M20
Rises 06:53 PM (ESE)
Sets 04:07 AM (WSW)
Peaks 11:30 PM at 26° (S)
Carbon starsT Lyrae
In const. Lyra
mag 7.8
Rises 03:14 PM (NE)
Sets 08:45 AM (NW)
Peaks 12:00 AM at 86° (S)
AsterismsSagittarius Teapotdifficult
In const. Sagittarius
Rises 08:16 PM (SE)
Sets 04:30 AM (SW)
Peaks 12:23 AM at 20° (S)

1 AM

Double starsAlbireo
In const. Cygnus
mag 3.1
Rises 05:07 PM (NE)
Sets 08:49 AM (NW)
Peaks 12:58 AM at 77° (S)
Variable starsEta Aquilae
In const. Aquila
mag 3.8
Rises 07:14 PM (E)
Sets 07:25 AM (W)
Peaks 01:20 AM at 50° (S)
Variable starsChi Cygni
In const. Cygnus
mag 4.2
Rises 04:59 PM (NE)
Sets 09:36 AM (NW)
Peaks 01:18 AM at 82° (S)
Carbon starsV Aquilae
In const. Aquila
mag 6.9
Rises 06:49 PM (E)
Sets 06:14 AM (W)
Peaks 12:32 AM at 44° (S)
NebulaeM27
In const. Vulpecula
mag 7.4
Rises 06:00 PM (ENE)
Sets 08:53 AM (WNW)
Peaks 01:27 AM at 72° (S)
AsterismsSummer Triangle
In const. Multiple
Rises 04:58 PM (NE)
Sets 09:20 AM (NW)
Peaks 01:09 AM at 81° (S)
AsterismsCoathanger
In const. Vulpecula
Cr399
Rises 05:37 PM (ENE)
Sets 08:09 AM (WNW)
Peaks 12:53 AM at 69° (S)

2 AM

NebulaeNGC 7000
In const. Cygnus
mag 5.0 · C20
Rises 04:31 PM (NNE)
Sets 12:21 PM (NNW)
Peaks 02:26 AM at 86° (N)
Carbon starsRS Cygni
In const. Cygnus
mag 6.5
Rises 04:42 PM (NNE)
Sets 10:39 AM (NNW)
Peaks 01:40 AM at 88° (S)
NebulaeNGC 6960
In const. Cygnus
mag 7.0 · C34
Rises 06:07 PM (NE)
Sets 10:18 AM (NW)
Peaks 02:13 AM at 80° (S)
Carbon starsRT Capricornidifficult
In const. Capricornus
mag 8.9
Rises 09:00 PM (ESE)
Sets 06:28 AM (WSW)
Peaks 01:44 AM at 28° (S)
AsterismsNorthern Cross
In const. Cygnus
Rises 04:40 PM (NNE)
Sets 10:47 AM (NNW)
Peaks 01:43 AM at 89° (S)
AsterismsJob's Coffin
In const. Delphinus
Rises 07:12 PM (ENE)
Sets 09:06 AM (WNW)
Peaks 02:09 AM at 65° (S)

3 AM

Variable starsMu Cephei
In const. Cepheus
mag 4.1
Up all night
Peaks 03:10 AM at 72° (N)
NebulaeIC 5146
In const. Cygnus
mag 7.2 · C19
Rises 04:35 PM (NNE)
Sets 02:06 PM (NNW)
Peaks 03:20 AM at 83° (N)
Carbon starsS Cephei
In const. Cepheus
mag 7.4
Up all night
Peaks 03:02 AM at 52° (N)

4 AM

ClustersHyades
In const. Taurus
mag 0.5 · C41
Rises 02:54 AM (ENE)
Sets 04:58 PM (WNW)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 16° (E)
PlanetsSaturn
mag 0.6
Rises 12:10 AM (E)
Sets 12:38 PM (W)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 44° (SE)
ClustersAlpha Persei Cluster
In const. Perseus
mag 1.2
Up all night
Peaks 04:23 AM at 43° (NE)
PlanetsMars
mag 1.3
Rises 02:39 AM (ENE)
Sets 05:26 PM (WNW)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 18° (ENE)
ClustersPleiades
In const. Taurus
mag 1.6 · M45
Rises 01:39 AM (ENE)
Sets 04:46 PM (WNW)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 28° (E)
Variable starsAlgol
In const. Perseus
mag 2.1
Rises 11:16 PM (NNE)
Sets 05:52 PM (NNW)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 44° (ENE)
Variable starsGamma Cassiopeiae
In const. Cassiopeia
mag 2.4
Up all night
Peaks 04:23 AM at 63° (NNE)
GalaxiesAndromeda Galaxy
In const. Andromeda
mag 3.4 · M31
Rises 08:48 PM (NNE)
Sets 03:30 PM (NNW)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 70° (E)
Variable starsDelta Cephei
In const. Cepheus
mag 3.8
Up all night
Peaks 03:56 AM at 72° (N)
ClustersStock 2
In const. Cassiopeia
mag 4.4 · St2
Up all night
Peaks 04:23 AM at 54° (NE)
Carbon starsTX Piscium
In const. Pisces
mag 5.0
Rises 10:59 PM (E)
Sets 11:27 AM (W)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 51° (SSE)
GalaxiesTriangulum Galaxy
In const. Triangulum
mag 5.7 · M33
Rises 10:55 PM (NE)
Sets 03:05 PM (NW)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 57° (E)
PlanetsUranus
mag 5.8
Rises 02:17 AM (ENE)
Sets 04:54 PM (WNW)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 22° (E)
ClustersNGC 1960
In const. Auriga
mag 6.0 · M36
Rises 02:36 AM (NE)
Sets 07:28 PM (NW)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 15° (ENE)
ClustersNGC 884
In const. Perseus
mag 6.1 · C14
Up all night
Peaks 04:23 AM at 54° (NE)
ClustersNGC 457
In const. Cassiopeia
mag 6.4 · C13
Up all night
Peaks 04:23 AM at 61° (NE)
Variable starsMira
In const. Cetus
mag 6.5
Rises 01:54 AM (E)
Sets 01:37 PM (W)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 26° (ESE)
Carbon starsWZ Cassiopeiae
In const. Cassiopeia
mag 7.1
Up all night
Peaks 04:23 AM at 68° (NNE)
Carbon starsT Camelopardalis
In const. Camelopardalis
mag 7.3
Up all night
Peaks 04:23 AM at 38° (NNE)
NebulaeHelix Nebula
In const. Aquarius
mag 7.3 · C63
Rises 11:10 PM (ESE)
Sets 08:42 AM (WSW)
Peaks 03:56 AM at 28° (S)
Carbon starsR Andromedae
In const. Andromeda
mag 7.4
Rises 08:53 PM (NE)
Sets 02:48 PM (NW)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 73° (E)
PlanetsNeptune
mag 7.9
Rises 11:41 PM (E)
Sets 11:48 AM (W)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 46° (SSE)
GalaxiesNGC 253difficult
In const. Sculptor
mag 8.0 · C65
Rises 01:47 AM (ESE)
Sets 10:41 AM (WSW)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 19° (SSE)
Carbon starsUV Aurigae
In const. Auriga
mag 10.4
Rises 02:31 AM (NE)
Sets 07:03 PM (NW)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 16° (ENE)
Carbon starsU Camelopardalis
In const. Camelopardalis
mag 11.0
Up all night
Peaks 04:23 AM at 44° (NE)
AsterismsGreat Square of Pegasus
In const. Pegasus
Rises 09:40 PM (ENE)
Sets 12:28 PM (WNW)
Peaks 04:23 AM at 69° (SSE)
AsterismsKemble's Cascade
In const. Camelopardalis
NGC1502
Up all night
Peaks 04:23 AM at 41° (NE)

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