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 Huntsville, AL?

Tonight from Huntsville, AL expect a waxing gibbous Moon at 63% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The night offers about 10.1 hours of true astronomical darkness.

What planets are visible tonight in Huntsville, AL?

Tonight in Huntsville, AL, 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 Huntsville, AL?

Astronomical darkness begins at 7:29 PM local time in Huntsville, AL 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 Huntsville, AL?

Huntsville, AL 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 Huntsville, AL?

Huntsville, AL doesn't have a population figure in our location data, so we can't estimate a sky-glow category here. A dedicated light-pollution map will give a precise reading for this spot.

Is light pollution a problem in Huntsville, AL?

Huntsville, AL is small enough that the Milky Way can be visible on clear, moonless nights away from the immediate centre. This page's Moon and darkness figures tell you the other half of the story.

When can I see the Milky Way from Huntsville, AL?

The core reaches about 26.3° 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 Huntsville, AL tonight?

About 10.1 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 Huntsville, AL?

Waxing Gibbous moon at 63%, Mars shines at magnitude 1.0. Calculated for 34.73°, -86.59° (America/Chicago).

Moon

Waxing Gibbous

63% lit

Sunset

6:05 PM

Dusk 7:29 PM

Dark hours

10.1 h

Dawn 5:32 AM

Aurora

Needs Kp 9+

Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

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

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Huntsville, AL — Tuesday, October 20

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.

⭐ StargazingExcellent

🌙 MoonWaxing Gibbous • 63% Illumination

🪐 Visible planetsMars, Jupiter, Saturn

🌠 Meteor activityOrionids in 1 day

🌌 Milky WayMuted by moonlight tonight

🛰️ ISSChecking ISS orbital track…

🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 0.7)

☁️ Cloud cover0%

🌡️ Temperature58°F

Weather observed: 1:30 AM UTC · Space weather observed: 9:00 PM UTC

Tonight's sky above Huntsville, AL

Whether tonight is a good night for stargazing from Huntsville, AL comes down to four real things: the Moon phase, cloud cover, which planets are up, and the current Kp index.

Local sky character in Huntsville

Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere

The north celestial pole stands 34.7° above the horizon, so stars within 35° of it never set from here.
About 78.5% 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 26.3° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.

Pole altitude

34.7°

Sky reachable

78.5%

Milky Way core

26.3° max

Aurora borealis

Kp 9+

GoodSky 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: Skies are expected to stay mostly clear, with some interference from the Moon.
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.

Skies should be clear tonight, making it a good night for stargazing, although aurora activity is unlikely.

What is a geomagnetic storm?How do auroras form?

Best nights this month in Huntsville

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.
2026-10-26 — 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.
2026-11-05 — Taurids peak — up to 5/hour
Radiant in Taurus. Favours the Northern Hemisphere, which includes Huntsville, AL. 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 Huntsville, AL.
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.

Huntsville, AL stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Huntsville, AL?: Tonight from Huntsville, AL expect a waxing gibbous Moon at 63% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The night offers about 10.1 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Huntsville, AL?: Tonight in Huntsville, AL, 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 Huntsville, AL?: Astronomical darkness begins at 7:29 PM local time in Huntsville, AL 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 Huntsville, AL?: Huntsville, AL 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 Huntsville, AL?: Huntsville, AL doesn't have a population figure in our location data, so we can't estimate a sky-glow category here. A dedicated light-pollution map will give a precise reading for this spot.
Is light pollution a problem in Huntsville, AL?: Huntsville, AL is small enough that the Milky Way can be visible on clear, moonless nights away from the immediate centre. This page's Moon and darkness figures tell you the other half of the story.
When can I see the Milky Way from Huntsville, AL?: The core reaches about 26.3° 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 Huntsville, AL tonight?: About 10.1 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 Huntsville, AL.

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☄️ Orionids peaks in 1 day

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

Full viewing guide →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Huntsville?

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 Huntsville, AL.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Huntsville?

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