Live Sky Report
What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Alaska?
Waning Crescent moon at 14%, Mars shines at magnitude 0.8. Calculated for 61.37°, -152.40°.
Visible planets tonight
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn — brightest: Mars at mag 0.8 in Leo
🔭 Tonight's Sky Report
📍 Alaska — Thursday, November 5
Weather observed: 2:00 PM UTC · Space weather observed: 9:00 AM UTC
Tonight's sky above Alaska
Skywatchers in Alaska have the same live tools professional observers use — a real ephemeris, live Kp readings from NOAA SWPC, and hourly cloud forecasts — condensed into one report on this page.
Local sky character in Alaska
Northern high latitudes · northern hemisphere
- The north celestial pole stands 61.4° above the horizon, so stars within 61° of it never set from here.
- About 93.9% of the whole sky rises above the horizon at some point in the year from this latitude.
- The Galactic Centre never rises from this latitude, so the brightest stretch of the Milky Way stays permanently below the horizon.
- Above 61° the observing year is strongly seasonal: mid-summer nights may never reach astronomical darkness, while mid-winter delivers very long dark windows.
What does this mean for you?
Your Sky Briefing
- Right now
- The sky is currently too bright for stargazing or aurora viewing.
- Tonight
- Skies are expected to stay mostly clear, with minimal interference from the Moon.
- Aurora
- Geomagnetic activity is quiet (Kp 1.3), and your location is within a favorable latitude range. Cloud cover is the biggest factor to watch.
- Weather
- No significant rain, wind or temperature extremes are expected overnight.
Skies should be clear tonight, making it a good night for stargazing, although aurora activity is unlikely.
Best nights this month in Alaska
Calculated for these coordinates and today's date — not a fixed list.
- 2026-11-05 — Taurids peak — up to 5/hour
Radiant in Taurus. Favours the Northern Hemisphere, which includes Alaska. The Moon is 18% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is low.
- 2026-11-09 — Darkest night of the coming month
The Moon is only 0% illuminated, giving the least lunar interference in the next 30 nights — the best window for the Milky Way and faint deep-sky targets from Alaska.
- 2026-11-17 — Leonids peak — up to 15/hour
Radiant in Leo. Visible from both hemispheres. The Moon is 45% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is moderate.
- 2026-11-24 — Full Moon
A 100%-lit Moon washes out faint objects, but lunar terrain along the limb is at its most striking — plan bright targets and planets instead of deep sky.
Alaska stargazing questions
- What can I see in the sky tonight from Alaska?
- Tonight from Alaska expect a waning crescent Moon at 14% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The night offers about 10.9 hours of true astronomical darkness.
- What planets are visible tonight in Alaska?
- Tonight in Alaska, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn are visible to the naked eye after dark, based on this location's real ephemeris for tonight.
- When does darkness start tonight in Alaska?
- Astronomical darkness begins at 4:26 AM local time in Alaska tonight, the moment the Sun drops more than 18° below the horizon and the sky becomes fully dark for faint-object observing.
- Can you see the aurora tonight in Alaska?
- Alaska sits within the aurora oval's typical reach on active nights, near 58° geomagnetic latitude at Kp 3 — aurora is a realistic prospect here whenever the planetary Kp index reaches about 1.7 or higher.
- What is the stargazing light pollution level in Alaska?
- Alaska doesn't have a population figure in our location data, so we can't estimate a sky-glow category here. A dedicated light-pollution map will give a precise reading for this spot.
- How likely are the northern lights in Alaska?
- Alaska sits at 61.4° N, inside the latitude range the auroral oval reaches on ordinary active nights — the oval sits near 58° geomagnetic latitude at Kp 3. That means aurora is a realistic prospect here whenever geomagnetic activity lifts above the quiet baseline, not only during major storms.
- What time of night is best for aurora watching in Alaska?
- Auroral substorms cluster around local magnetic midnight, so the hours either side of midnight are statistically strongest. You also need real darkness: this page's dusk and dawn times mark the usable window, and in mid-summer that window can close entirely at this latitude.
- Do I need to leave Alaska to see the aurora?
- Alaska is small enough that local sky glow is not the limiting factor; a clear view toward the northern horizon and clear weather matter more.
- How dark does it actually get in Alaska tonight?
- About 10.9 hours of astronomical darkness (Sun more than 18° below the horizon). That is the real observing window for faint objects; brighter targets are workable from dusk onward.
Nearby cities
Real great-circle distance from Alaska.
More in Alaska
Other sky reports in the same region.
Sky tonight across United States
Other cities in United States with live sky reports.
Popular astronomy destinations
Aurora hubs, dark-sky sites, and observatory towns.
Planning a trip, not just checking tonight? See the full Stargazing in Alaska guide →
🛰️ ISS Visibility
No visible ISS passes currently predicted for this location.
☄️ Leonids peaks in 11 days
Up to 15 meteors/hour at peak, radiating from Leo.
Full viewing guide →Related astronomy for Alaska
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this just astronomy weather for Alaska?
This page goes beyond ordinary astronomy weather -- it combines real local weather for astronomy, live space weather, and the space weather aurora connection into one live report for Alaska.
What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Alaska?
The sky viewing conditions badge above reflects the real astronomy viewing conditions for Alaska right now -- cloud cover, darkness, and moon interference combined, not moon phase alone. Good weather for stargazing depends on all of these together.