What can I see in the sky tonight from Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?

Tonight from Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom expect a waning crescent Moon at 12% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The night offers about 10.8 hours of true astronomical darkness.

What planets are visible tonight in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?

Tonight in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, 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 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?

Astronomical darkness begins at 6:31 PM local time in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom 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 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?

Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 5.1, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.

What is the stargazing light pollution level in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?

Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom is a mid-sized urban area — typically Bortle class 5–6 (bright suburban sky), where major constellations are workable but the Milky Way is washed out. 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.

Where is the nearest dark-sky site to Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?

Exmoor Dark Sky Reserve lies about 51 km away. Distances are real great-circle distances from Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom's coordinates.

When is the best time to stargaze near Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?

Combine two things this page computes: the astronomical darkness window (dusk to dawn), and the Moon. Nights within a few days of New Moon inside that window are the ones worth travelling for; the "best nights" section lists the next ones.

How dark does it actually get in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom tonight?

About 10.8 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 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?

Waning Crescent moon at 12%, Mars shines at magnitude 0.8. Calculated for 51.48°, -3.18° (Europe/London).

Moon

Waning Crescent

12% lit

Sunset

4:37 PM

Dusk 6:31 PM

Dark hours

10.8 h

Dawn 5:21 AM

Aurora

Needs Kp 5.1+

Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

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

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom — 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 • 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 cover81%

🌡️ Temperature48°F

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

Tonight's sky above Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

Skywatchers in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom 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 Cardiff

Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 17 m elevation

The north celestial pole stands 51.5° above the horizon, so stars within 52° of it never set from here.
About 89.1% 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 9.5° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
At 17 m elevation, roughly 0% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Pole altitude

51.5°

Sky reachable

89.1%

Milky Way core

9.5° max

Aurora borealis

Kp 5.1+

Cardiff is a mid-sized urban area — bright constellations and planets work from town; faint deep-sky objects need a drive out.

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 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.

Conditions tonight are mixed -- check the details below.

What is a geomagnetic storm?How do auroras form?

Astronomy near Cardiff

Real great-circle distances from Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.

Exmoor Dark Sky Reserve — dark-sky place, 51 km away, 300 m

Best nights this month in Cardiff

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 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. The Moon is 18% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is low.
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 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
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.

Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?: Tonight from Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom expect a waning crescent Moon at 12% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The night offers about 10.8 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?: Tonight in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, 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 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?: Astronomical darkness begins at 6:31 PM local time in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom 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 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?: Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 5.1, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
What is the stargazing light pollution level in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?: Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom is a mid-sized urban area — typically Bortle class 5–6 (bright suburban sky), where major constellations are workable but the Milky Way is washed out. 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.
Where is the nearest dark-sky site to Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?: Exmoor Dark Sky Reserve lies about 51 km away. Distances are real great-circle distances from Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom's coordinates.
When is the best time to stargaze near Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom?: Combine two things this page computes: the astronomical darkness window (dusk to dawn), and the Moon. Nights within a few days of New Moon inside that window are the ones worth travelling for; the "best nights" section lists the next ones.
How dark does it actually get in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom tonight?: About 10.8 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 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.

More in Wales

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom 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 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Cardiff?

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 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Cardiff?

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