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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?

Tonight from Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany expect a waxing crescent Moon at 12% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The night offers about 9.6 hours of true astronomical darkness.

What planets are visible tonight in Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?

Tonight in Ilmenau, Thuringia, 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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?

Astronomical darkness begins at 8:15 PM local time in Ilmenau, Thuringia, 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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?

Ilmenau, Thuringia, 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 5.4, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.

What is the stargazing light pollution level in Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?

Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany is a small town — typically Bortle class 1–4 (rural to excellent dark sky), where the Milky Way is usually visible on clear, moonless nights away from local lighting. 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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?

Rhön Dark Sky Reserve lies about 68 km away. Distances are real great-circle distances from Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany's coordinates.

When is the best time to stargaze near Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?

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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany tonight?

About 9.6 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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?

Waxing Crescent moon at 12%, Mars shines at magnitude 1.0. Calculated for 50.68°, 10.92° (Europe/Berlin).

Moon

Waxing Crescent

12% lit

Sunset

6:26 PM

Dusk 8:15 PM

Dark hours

9.6 h

Dawn 5:49 AM

Aurora

Needs Kp 5.4+

Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

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

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany — Wednesday, October 14

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.

⭐ StargazingFair

🌙 MoonWaxing Crescent • 12% Illumination

🪐 Visible planetsMars, Jupiter, Saturn

🌠 Meteor activityOrionids in 7 days

🌌 Milky WayVisible after dark, low moonlight

🛰️ ISSNext pass ~Oct 15, 6:27 AM GMT+2

🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 1.3)

☁️ Cloud cover50%

🌡️ Temperature49°F

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

Tonight's sky above Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany

Skywatchers in Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany 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 Ilmenau

Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 478 m elevation

The north celestial pole stands 50.7° above the horizon, so stars within 51° of it never set from here.
About 88.7% 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 10.3° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
At 478 m elevation, roughly 5% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Pole altitude

50.7°

Sky reachable

88.7%

Milky Way core

10.3° max

Aurora borealis

Kp 5.4+

Ilmenau is small enough that local light domes are limited — on a clear, moonless night the Milky Way is realistically within reach.

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?

Astronomy near Ilmenau

Real great-circle distances from Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany.

Rhön Dark Sky Reserve — dark-sky place, 68 km away, 700 m

Best nights this month in Ilmenau

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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, 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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany.

Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?: Tonight from Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany expect a waxing crescent Moon at 12% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The night offers about 9.6 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?: Tonight in Ilmenau, Thuringia, 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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?: Astronomical darkness begins at 8:15 PM local time in Ilmenau, Thuringia, 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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?: Ilmenau, Thuringia, 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 5.4, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
What is the stargazing light pollution level in Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?: Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany is a small town — typically Bortle class 1–4 (rural to excellent dark sky), where the Milky Way is usually visible on clear, moonless nights away from local lighting. 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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?: Rhön Dark Sky Reserve lies about 68 km away. Distances are real great-circle distances from Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany's coordinates.
When is the best time to stargaze near Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany?: 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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany tonight?: About 9.6 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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany.

More in Thuringia

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 4:27 AM, lasting about 4 minutes.

4 more visible passes predicted in this window.

☄️ Orionids peaks in 7 days

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

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Ilmenau?

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 Ilmenau, Thuringia, Germany.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Ilmenau?

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