Sky Tonight

The sky above you, right now.

A live planetarium for wherever you stand: every star in the Hipparcos catalogue, all 88 constellations, the planets and the Milky Way, and the satellites and aircraft passing over.

Create a free account Members: open Sky Tonight
Constellations
88
Stars
118k
With a free account
Free
Sky Tonight from Sedona, Arizona: constellations, Saturn, the Moon and the Milky Way, with the planets that are up listed on the right.

01Know what you’re seeing

Name that light in seconds.

The bright one low in the west, the cluster overhead, the faint smudge near Orion: search for it, or tap it. Every object has its brightness, where it is in your sky and when it rises and sets.

  • What is up now, listed brightest first
  • Messier, NGC and IC deep-sky objects
  • Constellation figures, boundaries and names

In the sky

  • StarsAll of Hipparcos; fainter stars load as you zoom118k
  • ConstellationsFigures, boundaries and names88
  • Planets, Sun and MoonExact positions for your placeLive
  • Milky WayAll-sky photographic layerLive
  • Deep skyMessier, NGC and IC objectsLive

02Passes

What is going over you.

Turn on satellites and aircraft and they move across the dome where they really are. The Passes panel lists what is crossing your sky, so the next moving light has a name before it reaches you.

Display

SatellitesAircraftHorizonGridLabels

Panels

FindInfoDisplayPassesTime

03Any night, any place

Plan tonight. Revisit any night.

Move time forward to see what will rise after dinner, or back to the moment of a sighting. Set your sky’s light pollution and the faint stars fade the way they would from your back garden.

Controls

  • TimeStep, play, jumpAny date and time, at the speed you choose.
  • PlaceAnywhereUse where you are, or set any spot on Earth.
  • Light pollutionBortle 1–9From a dark desert to a city centre.

Built on

Catalogues astronomers actually use.

The same star catalogues and ephemeris models behind the identification on every report.

Stars
Hipparcos

ESA’s astrometry catalogue: about 118,000 stars.

Planets
astronomy-engine

High-precision positions for any date.

Satellites
CelesTrak

Current orbits, propagated live.

Aircraft
adsb.fi

Live ADS-B positions near you.

Questions

About Sky Tonight

Do I need an account?

A free one. Sky Tonight is part of every Sighted account: set where you are, or pick any place on Earth, and the sky draws itself for that moment.

Is my location shared?

Your browser remembers the place you choose. When Sighted’s servers look up weather, aircraft or satellite passes for you, the position they receive is rounded.

Can I see the sky at a different time?

Yes. Step forward or back, play time at speed, or jump to any date, to see what will rise tonight or what was up on the night of a sighting.

Does it show satellites?

Yes. Turn on satellites and aircraft in the display options, and the Passes panel lists what is going over you.

Keep exploring

More ways to watch the sky.

Clear skies

Step outside. Know what you’re looking at.

Create a free account Members: open Sky Tonight