What can I see in the sky tonight from Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?

Tonight from Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa expect a waning crescent Moon at 14% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars. The night offers about 7.3 hours of true astronomical darkness.

What planets are visible tonight in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?

Tonight in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, 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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?

Astronomical darkness begins at 8:51 PM local time in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa 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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa 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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa is a large metropolitan area — typically Bortle class 7–9 (bright, inner-city sky), where only the Moon, planets, and the brightest stars are visible. 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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa is a large metropolitan area, so expect only the Moon, planets, and the brightest stars from inside it. This page's Moon and darkness figures tell you the other half of the story.

When can I see the Milky Way from Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?

The core reaches about 85.1° 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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa tonight?

About 7.3 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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?

Waning Crescent moon at 14%, Saturn shines at magnitude 0.4. Calculated for -33.92°, 18.42° (Africa/Johannesburg).

Moon

Waning Crescent

14% lit

Sunset

7:18 PM

Dusk 8:51 PM

Dark hours

7.3 h

Dawn 4:08 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

📍 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa — 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 15, 4:44 AM GMT+2

🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 1.3)

☁️ Cloud cover73%

🌡️ Temperature68°F

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

Tonight's sky above Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Above Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa tonight, the sky is a live system: the Moon's illumination, which planets have cleared the horizon, and whether Earth's magnetosphere is quiet or churning all change hour by hour.

Local sky character in Cape Town

Southern mid-latitudes · southern hemisphere · 25 m elevation

The south celestial pole stands 33.9° above the horizon, so stars within 34° of it never set from here.
About 77.9% 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 85.1° up, passing almost directly overhead.
The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are circumpolar here — visible on any clear, dark night of the year.
At 25 m elevation, roughly 0% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Pole altitude

33.9°

Sky reachable

77.9%

Milky Way core

85.1° max

Aurora australis

Kp 9+

With a population above one million, Cape Town produces significant sky glow: expect the Moon, planets and bright stars from the centre, and travel outward for the Milky Way.

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?

Best nights this month in Cape Town

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

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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
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.

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?: Tonight from Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa expect a waning crescent Moon at 14% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars. The night offers about 7.3 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?: Tonight in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, 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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?: Astronomical darkness begins at 8:51 PM local time in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa 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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa 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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa is a large metropolitan area — typically Bortle class 7–9 (bright, inner-city sky), where only the Moon, planets, and the brightest stars are visible. 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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa is a large metropolitan area, so expect only the Moon, planets, and the brightest stars from inside it. This page's Moon and darkness figures tell you the other half of the story.
When can I see the Milky Way from Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa?: The core reaches about 85.1° 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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa tonight?: About 7.3 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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.

More in Western Cape

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across South Africa

Other cities in South Africa with live sky reports.

Popular astronomy destinations

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

🛰️ ISS Visibility

Next visible pass rises at 2:44 AM, lasting about 6 minutes.

☄️ Leonids peaks in 11 days

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

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Cape Town?

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 Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Cape Town?

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