What planets are visible tonight?

Which planets are visible depends on your date and location. Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn are the four naked-eye planets that are frequently visible; Mercury is visible only in brief windows near sunrise or sunset. Enter your city above and the report will list the planets currently above the horizon after dark.

Can I see the Northern Lights tonight?

Aurora visibility depends on the Kp index and your geomagnetic latitude. At Kp 3, aurora is typically visible only near the Arctic and Antarctic circles. At Kp 5 (a G1 storm), the auroral oval expands south into the northern U.S. and northern Europe. At Kp 7+ it can reach mid-latitudes. The report above compares your latitude to the current auroral boundary in real time.

Is there a meteor shower tonight?

There are around a dozen major meteor showers each year. The report above shows the next active shower and how many days until its peak. For best viewing, look after midnight from a dark location with the shower's radiant above the horizon.

When will the ISS pass over tonight?

The International Space Station passes overhead multiple times per day, but only some passes are visible (bright, after dusk or before dawn, and above the horizon). The report above shows the next visible pass time for your location, computed from live NORAD orbital elements.

What can I see in the sky tonight from Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?

Tonight from Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany expect a waxing crescent Moon at 31% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The night offers about 9.7 hours of true astronomical darkness.

What planets are visible tonight in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?

Tonight in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 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 Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?

Astronomical darkness begins at 8:27 PM local time in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 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 Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?

Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 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 Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?

Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 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.

Does Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's elevation help stargazing?

At 83 m you are above a meaningful fraction of the atmosphere, which reduces extinction and scintillation — the reason major observatories are sited high. Effelsberg Radio Telescope sits about 104 km from Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany at 319 m.

What should I plan for observing near Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?

High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 9.5° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.

How dark does it actually get in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany tonight?

About 9.7 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 Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?

Waxing Crescent moon at 31%, Mars shines at magnitude 1.0. Calculated for 51.46°, 7.01° (Europe/Berlin).

Moon

Waxing Crescent

31% lit

Sunset

6:36 PM

Dusk 8:27 PM

Dark hours

9.7 h

Dawn 6:07 AM

Aurora

Needs Kp 5.1+

Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

Mars, Jupiter, Saturn — brightest: Mars at mag 1.0 in Cancer

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany — Friday, October 16

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.

⭐ StargazingWeather telemetry updating

🌙 MoonWaxing Crescent • 31% Illumination

🪐 Visible planetsMars, Jupiter, Saturn

🌠 Meteor activityOrionids in 4 days

🌌 Milky WayMuted by moonlight tonight

🛰️ ISSNext pass ~Oct 17, 6:28 AM GMT+2

🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 2.3)

☁️ Cloud coverWeather telemetry updating

🌡️ TemperatureWeather telemetry updating

Space weather observed: 9:00 AM UTC

Tonight's sky above Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Above Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 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 Essen

Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 83 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 83 m elevation, roughly 1% 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+

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

Loading live sky conditions…

Astronomy near Essen

Real great-circle distances from Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Effelsberg Radio Telescope — observatory, 104 km away, 319 m
Eifel National Park Dark Sky Park — dark-sky place, 104 km away, 500 m

Best nights this month in Essen

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

2026-10-21 — Orionids peak — up to 20/hour
Radiant in Orion. Visible from both hemispheres. The Moon is 72% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is moderate.
2026-10-25 — Full Moon
A 99%-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.
2026-11-05 — Taurids peak — up to 5/hour
Radiant in Taurus. Favours the Northern Hemisphere, which includes Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. 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 Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?: Tonight from Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany expect a waxing crescent Moon at 31% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The night offers about 9.7 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?: Tonight in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 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 Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?: Astronomical darkness begins at 8:27 PM local time in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 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 Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?: Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 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 Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?: Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany 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.
Does Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's elevation help stargazing?: At 83 m you are above a meaningful fraction of the atmosphere, which reduces extinction and scintillation — the reason major observatories are sited high. Effelsberg Radio Telescope sits about 104 km from Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany at 319 m.
What should I plan for observing near Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany?: High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 9.5° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.
How dark does it actually get in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany tonight?: About 9.7 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 Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

More in North Rhine-Westphalia

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across Germany

Other cities in Germany with live sky reports.

Popular astronomy destinations

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

🛰️ ISS Visibility

Next visible pass rises at 4:28 AM, lasting about 5 minutes.

4 more visible passes predicted in this window.

☄️ Orionids peaks in 4 days

Up to 20 meteors/hour at peak, radiating from Orion.

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Essen?

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 Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Essen?

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