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Live Sky Report

What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia?

Waning Crescent moon at 12%, Saturn shines at magnitude 0.4. Calculated for -30.50°, 151.67° (Australia/Sydney).

Moon
Waning Crescent
12% lit
Sunset
7:19 PM
Dusk 8:48 PM
Dark hours
7.6 h
Dawn 4:25 AM
Aurora
Needs Kp 9+
Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

Saturn, Jupiter, Mars — brightest: Saturn at mag 0.4 in Cetus

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Armidale, New South Wales, Australia — Thursday, November 5

⭐ StargazingGood
🌙 MoonWaning Crescent • 12% Illumination
🪐 Visible planetsMars, Jupiter, Saturn
🌠 Meteor activityLeonids in 11 days
🌌 Milky WayVisible after dark, low moonlight
🛰️ ISSISS pass predictions unavailable
🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 0.7)
☁️ Cloud cover13%
🌡️ Temperature44°F

Weather observed: 7:00 PM UTC · Space weather observed: 3:00 PM UTC

Tonight's sky above Armidale, New South Wales, Australia

Whether tonight is a good night for stargazing from Armidale, New South Wales, Australia comes down to four real things: the Moon phase, cloud cover, which planets are up, and the current Kp index.

Local sky character in Armidale

Southern mid-latitudes · southern hemisphere · 1053 m elevation

  • The south celestial pole stands 30.5° above the horizon, so stars within 31° of it never set from here.
  • About 75.4% of the whole sky rises above the horizon at some point in the year from this latitude.
  • The Milky Way's core in Sagittarius culminates about 88.5° up, passing almost directly overhead.
  • The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are circumpolar here — visible on any clear, dark night of the year.
  • At 1053 m elevation, roughly 12% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Pole altitude
30.5°
Sky reachable
75.4%
Milky Way core
88.5° max
Aurora australis
Kp 9+

Armidale is small enough that local light domes are limited — on a clear, moonless night the Milky Way is realistically within reach.

GoodSky Viewing Conditions tonight

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
Current geomagnetic activity (Kp 0.7, quiet) is not strong enough to bring the aurora to your latitude.
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 Armidale

Calculated for these coordinates and today's date — not a fixed list.

  • 2026-11-08 — 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 Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.

  • 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.

Armidale, New South Wales, Australia stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Armidale, New South Wales, Australia?
Tonight from Armidale, New South Wales, Australia expect a waning crescent Moon at 12% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars. The night offers about 7.6 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia?
Tonight in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars are visible to the naked eye after dark, based on this location's real ephemeris for tonight.
When does darkness start tonight in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia?
Astronomical darkness begins at 8:48 PM local time in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia 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 Armidale, New South Wales, Australia?
Armidale, New South Wales, Australia is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 9, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
What is the stargazing light pollution level in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia?
Armidale, New South Wales, Australia is a small town — typically Bortle class 1–4 (rural to excellent dark sky), where the Milky Way is usually visible on clear, moonless nights away from local lighting. These are typical ranges for this population size, not a measured reading for this exact spot — use tonight's Moon phase and the best-nights list above to time a visit away from direct lighting.
Does Armidale, New South Wales, Australia's elevation help stargazing?
At 1053 m you are above a meaningful fraction of the atmosphere, which reduces extinction and scintillation — the reason major observatories are sited high.
What should I plan for observing near Armidale, New South Wales, Australia?
High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 88.5° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.
How dark does it actually get in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia tonight?
About 7.6 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 Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.

More in New South Wales

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across Australia

Other cities in Australia with live sky reports.

Popular astronomy destinations

Aurora hubs, dark-sky sites, and observatory towns.

🛰️ 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 Armidale, New South Wales, Australia

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Armidale?

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 Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Armidale?

The sky viewing conditions badge above reflects the real astronomy viewing conditions for Armidale, New South Wales, Australia right now -- cloud cover, darkness, and moon interference combined, not moon phase alone. Good weather for stargazing depends on all of these together.