Live Sky Report
What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Irakleion, Crete, Greece?
Waxing Gibbous moon at 65%, Mars shines at magnitude 1.0. Calculated for 35.33°, 25.14° (Europe/Athens).
Visible planets tonight
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn — brightest: Mars at mag 1.0 in Cancer
🔭 Tonight's Sky Report
📍 Irakleion, Crete, Greece — Tuesday, October 20
Space weather observed: 3:00 AM UTC
Tonight's sky above Irakleion, Crete, Greece
Above Irakleion, Crete, Greece 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 Irakleion
Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 60 m elevation
- The north celestial pole stands 35.3° above the horizon, so stars within 35° of it never set from here.
- About 78.9% 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 25.7° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
- At 60 m elevation, roughly 1% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Irakleion is a town-scale settlement, so the edge of the built-up area is often dark enough for the Milky Way on moonless nights.
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Astronomy near Irakleion
Real great-circle distances from Irakleion, Crete, Greece.
- Skinakas Observatory — observatory, 26 km away, 1750 m
Best nights this month in Irakleion
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 Irakleion, Crete, Greece. 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 Irakleion, Crete, Greece.
- 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.
Irakleion, Crete, Greece stargazing questions
- What can I see in the sky tonight from Irakleion, Crete, Greece?
- Tonight from Irakleion, Crete, Greece expect a waxing gibbous Moon at 65% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The night offers about 10.0 hours of true astronomical darkness.
- What planets are visible tonight in Irakleion, Crete, Greece?
- Tonight in Irakleion, Crete, Greece, 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 Irakleion, Crete, Greece?
- Astronomical darkness begins at 8:02 PM local time in Irakleion, Crete, Greece 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 Irakleion, Crete, Greece?
- Irakleion, Crete, Greece 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 Irakleion, Crete, Greece?
- Irakleion, Crete, Greece 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 Irakleion, Crete, Greece's elevation help stargazing?
- At 60 m you are above a meaningful fraction of the atmosphere, which reduces extinction and scintillation — the reason major observatories are sited high. Skinakas Observatory sits about 26 km from Irakleion, Crete, Greece at 1750 m.
- What should I plan for observing near Irakleion, Crete, Greece?
- High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 25.7° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.
- How dark does it actually get in Irakleion, Crete, Greece tonight?
- About 10.0 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 Irakleion, Crete, Greece.
More in Crete
Other sky reports in the same region.
Sky tonight across Greece
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Popular astronomy destinations
Aurora hubs, dark-sky sites, and observatory towns.
🛰️ ISS Visibility
Next visible pass rises at 2:58 AM, lasting about 2 minutes.
2 more visible passes predicted in this window.
☄️ Orionids peaks in 1 day
Up to 20 meteors/hour at peak, radiating from Orion.
Full viewing guide →Related astronomy for Irakleion, Crete, Greece
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this just astronomy weather for Irakleion?
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 Irakleion, Crete, Greece.
What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Irakleion?
The sky viewing conditions badge above reflects the real astronomy viewing conditions for Irakleion, Crete, Greece right now -- cloud cover, darkness, and moon interference combined, not moon phase alone. Good weather for stargazing depends on all of these together.