What planets are visible tonight from my location?

Open the all-sky disk and allow your browser to use your location. Planets currently above your horizon appear on the map, labelled by name, with the Moon, bright stars and constellation lines.

How do I read the sky disk?

You are looking up: zenith is at the centre, the outer circle is the horizon. In the northern hemisphere South is at the top and East is on the left, so the Sun's path is the upper half of the disk and noon is toward the South. Objects near the edge are low; objects near the centre are high.

Can I watch the sky change over time?

Yes. Use the date and time controls at the bottom of the page, then press Play to animate the sky. Stars, planets and the Moon move as time advances hour by hour.

Tonight's all-sky disk from your location

This interactive all-sky disk shows the whole sky above you right now, or at any date and time you choose. Zenith is at the centre of the circle and the outer edge is the horizon. In the northern hemisphere, South is at the top and East is on the left — the same convention used on many planispheres and star charts.

Which planets are visible tonight?

Open the map and tap My location so the disk is centred on your latitude and longitude. Every planet currently above your horizon appears on the map, labelled by name, together with the Moon, bright stars and constellation lines. The list in the left panel shows each object with its altitude in degrees: the higher the number, the higher it sits in the sky.

Venus and Jupiter are often the brightest objects after the Moon. Mars shows a steady orange-red glow. Saturn is fainter but unmistakable in a small telescope. Mercury hugs the horizon and is best seen in twilight. Uranus and Neptune need binoculars or a telescope, but their positions are computed here with the same precision as the naked-eye planets.

How to read the sky disk

Imagine lying on your back and looking straight up. The centre of the disk is the point directly overhead (the zenith). Objects near the edge are low on the horizon; objects near the centre are high in the sky. Cardinal directions are marked around the rim: N, E, S and W. In the northern hemisphere the Sun's daily arc runs through the southern half of the disk, reaching its highest point toward South at local noon.

Altitude and azimuth

Altitude is the angle above the horizon, from 0° on the horizon to 90° at the zenith. Hover over any labelled object to see its exact altitude. Azimuth is the compass direction measured eastward from North. Together, altitude and azimuth pin down where to point your eyes — or your telescope — for any object on the map.

Constellation lines and star names

Toggle Lines to show the stick figures of the 88 official constellations, and Names to label bright stars and planets. Adjust the Mag slider to show fainter stars: a lower limiting magnitude reveals more stars but can clutter the view in light-polluted skies.

Watch the sky change over time

Stars rise in the east and set in the west because the Earth rotates once every 24 hours. Planets drift more slowly against the star background as they orbit the Sun. The Moon moves fastest, shifting roughly 13° per day. Pick any date and time in the controls below, then press Play to watch the sky animate hour by hour. Use Now to jump back to the present moment.

How accurate is this star map?

Every position is computed with algorithms from Jean Meeus' Astronomical Algorithms, the standard reference for precision ephemerides. The view is topocentric: it accounts for your exact latitude, longitude and the Earth's rotation at the chosen instant. This is the same mathematical foundation used by professional planetarium software and almanacs.

Projection and zoom

The default Stereographic projection preserves angles and shapes near the zenith, which makes constellation patterns look natural. Switch to Equidistant for a classic planisphere feel. Use the zoom buttons to magnify a region of the sky, then drag the map to pan around.

What changes through the seasons?

The stars you see at a given time of night shift as the Earth orbits the Sun. Summer evenings in the northern hemisphere feature the bright stars of Scorpius and Sagittarius toward the south, while winter brings Orion and the Pleiades higher in the sky. Planets wander independently: Jupiter might dominate the evening sky for months, then move into the morning twilight as its apparition ends. Use the date picker to plan ahead — check where Mars will be on your next camping trip, or see whether Saturn is well placed for an observing session next month.

Tips for stargazing tonight

Give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adapt to the dark. Avoid phone screens or use a red-light torch. Start with the Moon and the brightest planets — they are easy to find even from a city. Once you know where Jupiter or Saturn sits on the disk, walk outside and match the map to the real sky. A pair of 10×50 binoculars opens up star clusters, the Galilean moons of Jupiter and the craters of the Moon.

Light pollution and timing

The best views are from a dark site away from streetlights, but this map is still useful from a balcony or garden in the suburbs. Wait until the Sun is at least 12° below the horizon — nautical twilight — before hunting faint stars. The Moon washes out fainter objects when it is near full; for deep-sky targets, plan around new Moon weekends. Check the altitude column in the left panel: anything below 15° is often lost in haze and light pollution near the horizon.

More tools on AstroAlgos

Date & time Lat Lon E

Mag 4.5 Lines Names

100%

Projection