What can I see in the sky tonight from Dunhuang, Gansu, China?

Tonight from Dunhuang, Gansu, China expect a waning crescent Moon at 14% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus. The night offers about 10.6 hours of true astronomical darkness.

What planets are visible tonight in Dunhuang, Gansu, China?

Tonight in Dunhuang, Gansu, China, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus are visible to the naked eye after dark, based on this location's real ephemeris for tonight.

When does darkness start tonight in Dunhuang, Gansu, China?

Astronomical darkness begins at 8:05 PM local time in Dunhuang, Gansu, China 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 Dunhuang, Gansu, China?

Dunhuang, Gansu, China is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 8.9, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.

What is the stargazing light pollution level in Dunhuang, Gansu, China?

Dunhuang, Gansu, China 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.

Does Dunhuang, Gansu, China's elevation help stargazing?

At 1131 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 Dunhuang, Gansu, China?

High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 20.8° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.

How dark does it actually get in Dunhuang, Gansu, China tonight?

About 10.6 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.

Live Sky Report

What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Dunhuang, Gansu, China?

Waning Crescent moon at 14%, Mars shines at magnitude 0.8. Calculated for 40.17°, 94.68° (Asia/Shanghai).

Moon

Waning Crescent

14% lit

Sunset

6:33 PM

Dusk 8:05 PM

Dark hours

10.6 h

Dawn 6:44 AM

Aurora

Needs Kp 8.9+

Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

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

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Dunhuang, Gansu, China — 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 planetsVenus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn

🌠 Meteor activityLeonids in 11 days

🌌 Milky WayVisible after dark, low moonlight

🛰️ ISSISS pass predictions unavailable

🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 1.3)

☁️ Cloud cover79%

🌡️ Temperature42°F

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

Tonight's sky above Dunhuang, Gansu, China

Above Dunhuang, Gansu, China 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 Dunhuang

Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 1131 m elevation

The north celestial pole stands 40.2° above the horizon, so stars within 40° of it never set from here.
About 82.3% 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 20.8° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
At 1131 m elevation, roughly 12% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Pole altitude

40.2°

Sky reachable

82.3%

Milky Way core

20.8° max

Aurora borealis

Kp 8.9+

Dunhuang 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?

Best nights this month in Dunhuang

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 Dunhuang, Gansu, China. 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 Dunhuang, Gansu, China.
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.

Dunhuang, Gansu, China stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Dunhuang, Gansu, China?: Tonight from Dunhuang, Gansu, China expect a waning crescent Moon at 14% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus. The night offers about 10.6 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Dunhuang, Gansu, China?: Tonight in Dunhuang, Gansu, China, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus are visible to the naked eye after dark, based on this location's real ephemeris for tonight.
When does darkness start tonight in Dunhuang, Gansu, China?: Astronomical darkness begins at 8:05 PM local time in Dunhuang, Gansu, China 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 Dunhuang, Gansu, China?: Dunhuang, Gansu, China is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 8.9, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
What is the stargazing light pollution level in Dunhuang, Gansu, China?: Dunhuang, Gansu, China 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.
Does Dunhuang, Gansu, China's elevation help stargazing?: At 1131 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 Dunhuang, Gansu, China?: High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 20.8° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.
How dark does it actually get in Dunhuang, Gansu, China tonight?: About 10.6 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 Dunhuang, Gansu, China.

More in Gansu

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across China

Other cities in China 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 Dunhuang, Gansu, China

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Dunhuang?

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 Dunhuang, Gansu, China.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Dunhuang?

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