What can I see in the sky tonight from Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?

Tonight from Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland 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 10.7 hours of true astronomical darkness.

What planets are visible tonight in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?

Tonight in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland, 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 Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?

Astronomical darkness begins at 6:51 PM local time in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland 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 Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?

Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 6.4, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.

What is the stargazing light pollution level in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?

Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland is a small city — typically Bortle class 4–5 (rural/suburban transition), where the Milky Way core can be glimpsed on clear, moonless nights. 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.

Is light pollution a problem in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?

Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland is small enough that the Milky Way can be visible on clear, moonless nights away from the immediate centre. This page's Moon and darkness figures tell you the other half of the story.

When can I see the Milky Way from Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?

The core reaches about 13.4° altitude, so target the moonless nights listed in the best-nights section and get away from the city core.

How dark does it actually get in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland tonight?

About 10.7 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.

Live Sky Report

What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?

Waning Crescent moon at 14%, Mars shines at magnitude 0.8. Calculated for 47.56°, 7.57° (Europe/Zurich).

Moon

Waning Crescent

14% lit

Sunset

5:06 PM

Dusk 6:51 PM

Dark hours

10.7 h

Dawn 5:35 AM

Aurora

Needs Kp 6.4+

Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

Mars, Jupiter, Saturn — brightest: Mars at mag 0.8 in Leo

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland — Thursday, November 5

Live cloud cover, temperature, ISS passes and aurora odds load in your browser and need JavaScript. The moon, planet and meteor rows below are calculated without it.

⭐ StargazingPoor

🌙 MoonWaning Crescent • 14% Illumination

🪐 Visible planetsMars, Jupiter, Saturn

🌠 Meteor activityLeonids in 11 days

🌌 Milky WayVisible after dark, low moonlight

🛰️ ISSNext pass ~Nov 11, 6:33 PM GMT+1

🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 1.3)

☁️ Cloud cover72%

🌡️ Temperature51°F

Weather observed: 2:00 PM UTC · Space weather observed: 9:00 AM UTC

Tonight's sky above Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland

Skywatchers in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland 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 Basel

Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 279 m elevation

The north celestial pole stands 47.6° above the horizon, so stars within 48° of it never set from here.
About 86.9% 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 13.4° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
At 279 m elevation, roughly 3% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Pole altitude

47.6°

Sky reachable

86.9%

Milky Way core

13.4° max

Aurora borealis

Kp 6.4+

Basel is a town-scale settlement, so the edge of the built-up area is often dark enough for the Milky Way on moonless nights.

FairSky 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: Cloud cover is the main factor limiting visibility tonight.
Aurora: Current geomagnetic activity (Kp 1.3, quiet) is not strong enough to bring the aurora to your latitude.
Weather: No significant rain, wind or temperature extremes are expected overnight.

Conditions tonight are mixed -- check the details below.

What is a geomagnetic storm?How do auroras form?

Astronomy near Basel

Real great-circle distances from Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland.

Sphinx Observatory — observatory, 117 km away, 3571 m

Best nights this month in Basel

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 Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland. 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 Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland.
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.

Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?: Tonight from Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland 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 10.7 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?: Tonight in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland, 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 Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?: Astronomical darkness begins at 6:51 PM local time in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland 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 Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?: Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 6.4, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
What is the stargazing light pollution level in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?: Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland is a small city — typically Bortle class 4–5 (rural/suburban transition), where the Milky Way core can be glimpsed on clear, moonless nights. 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.
Is light pollution a problem in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?: Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland is small enough that the Milky Way can be visible on clear, moonless nights away from the immediate centre. This page's Moon and darkness figures tell you the other half of the story.
When can I see the Milky Way from Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland?: The core reaches about 13.4° altitude, so target the moonless nights listed in the best-nights section and get away from the city core.
How dark does it actually get in Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland tonight?: About 10.7 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 Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland.

Sky tonight across Switzerland

Other cities in Switzerland with live sky reports.

Popular astronomy destinations

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

🛰️ ISS Visibility

Next visible pass rises at 5:33 PM, lasting about 4 minutes.

4 more visible passes predicted in this window.

☄️ Leonids peaks in 11 days

Up to 15 meteors/hour at peak, radiating from Leo.

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Basel?

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 Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Basel?

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