Live Sky Report
What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Chikuma, Nagano, Japan?
New Moon moon at 0%, Venus shines at magnitude -4.4. Calculated for 36.53°, 138.09° (Asia/Tokyo).
Visible planets tonight
Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars — brightest: Venus at mag -4.4 in Virgo
🔭 Tonight's Sky Report
📍 Chikuma, Nagano, Japan — Wednesday, August 12
Tonight's sky above Chikuma, Nagano, Japan
Chikuma, Nagano, Japan's sky tonight is a real, computable state — every value on this page comes from live NOAA space weather data, live orbital elements for the ISS, and astronomy-engine's ephemeris for the Sun, Moon, and planets.
Above Chikuma, Nagano, Japan tonight (36.53°, 138.09°), expect a new moon moon at 0% illumination. The night gives 7.2 hours of true astronomical darkness. At 36.5°, aurora needs a strong storm — roughly Kp 9 or higher — to reach Chikuma, Nagano, Japan.
Local sky character in Chikuma
Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 388 m elevation
- The north celestial pole stands 36.5° above the horizon, so stars within 37° of it never set from here.
- About 79.8% 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 24.5° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
- At 388 m elevation, roughly 4% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Chikuma is small enough that local light domes are limited — on a clear, moonless night the Milky Way is realistically within reach.
Astronomy near Chikuma
Real great-circle distances from Chikuma, Nagano, Japan.
- Nobeyama Radio Observatory — observatory, 74 km away, 1350 m
Best nights this month in Chikuma
Calculated for these coordinates and today's date — not a fixed list.
- 2026-08-12 — 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 Chikuma, Nagano, Japan.
- 2026-08-12 — Perseids peak — up to 100/hour
Radiant in Perseus. Favours the Northern Hemisphere, which includes Chikuma, Nagano, Japan. The Moon is 2% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is none.
- 2026-08-27 — 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.
Chikuma, Nagano, Japan stargazing questions
- What can I see in the sky tonight from Chikuma, Nagano, Japan?
- Tonight from Chikuma, Nagano, Japan expect a new moon Moon at 0% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars. The night offers about 7.2 hours of true astronomical darkness.
- Does Chikuma, Nagano, Japan's elevation help stargazing?
- At 388 m you are above a meaningful fraction of the atmosphere, which reduces extinction and scintillation — the reason major observatories are sited high. Nobeyama Radio Observatory sits about 74 km from Chikuma, Nagano, Japan at 1350 m.
- What should I plan for observing near Chikuma, Nagano, Japan?
- High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 24.5° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.
- How dark does it actually get in Chikuma, Nagano, Japan tonight?
- About 7.2 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 Chikuma, Nagano, Japan.
More in Nagano
Other sky reports in the same region.
Sky tonight across Japan
Other cities in Japan with live sky reports.
Popular astronomy destinations
Aurora hubs, dark-sky sites, and observatory towns.