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 Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?

Tonight from Machala, El Oro, Ecuador expect a waxing crescent Moon at 14% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury. The night offers about 9.5 hours of true astronomical darkness.

What planets are visible tonight in Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?

Tonight in Machala, El Oro, Ecuador, Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury are visible to the naked eye after dark, based on this location's real ephemeris for tonight.

When does darkness start tonight in Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?

Astronomical darkness begins at 7:20 PM local time in Machala, El Oro, Ecuador 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 Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?

Machala, El Oro, Ecuador 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 Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?

Machala, El Oro, Ecuador 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.

Can I see both northern and southern constellations from Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?

Yes — this is the real advantage of an equatorial location. At 3.3° S, about 52.8% of the entire celestial sphere rises at some point in the year, so Polaris-side constellations and the Southern Cross region are both reachable across the seasons.

How good is the Milky Way from Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?

The Galactic Centre culminates around 64.3° above the horizon from here, high enough to clear most horizon haze. Local cloud and humidity, not geometry, are usually the limiting factor at tropical latitudes.

Are there seasons for stargazing in Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?

Night length barely changes at this latitude — twilight is short and the Sun sets steeply, so darkness arrives quickly all year. What changes is which part of the sky is on view after sunset, and, in monsoon-affected regions, how often the sky is clear at all.

How dark does it actually get in Machala, El Oro, Ecuador tonight?

About 9.5 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 Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?

Waxing Crescent moon at 14%, Saturn shines at magnitude 0.3. Calculated for -3.26°, -79.96° (America/Guayaquil).

Moon

Waxing Crescent

14% lit

Sunset

6:11 PM

Dusk 7:20 PM

Dark hours

9.5 h

Dawn 4:50 AM

Aurora

Needs Kp 9+

Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury — brightest: Saturn at mag 0.3 in Cetus

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Machala, El Oro, Ecuador — 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.

⭐ StargazingWeather telemetry updating

🌙 MoonWaxing Crescent • 14% Illumination

🪐 Visible planetsMercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn

🌠 Meteor activityOrionids in 7 days

🌌 Milky WayVisible after dark, low moonlight

🛰️ ISSNo visible ISS pass in the next 5 predicted passes

🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 1.7)

☁️ Cloud coverWeather telemetry updating

🌡️ TemperatureWeather telemetry updating

Space weather observed: 6:00 AM UTC

Tonight's sky above Machala, El Oro, Ecuador

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

Local sky character in Machala

Tropical / equatorial latitudes · southern hemisphere · 16 m elevation

The south celestial pole stands 3.3° above the horizon, so stars within 3° of it never set from here.
About 52.8% 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 64.3° up, clearing the horizon haze comfortably.
The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 23.6° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
At 16 m elevation, roughly 0% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Pole altitude

3.3°

Sky reachable

52.8%

Milky Way core

64.3° max

Aurora australis

Kp 9+

Machala 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…

Best nights this month in Machala

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.
2026-11-09 — 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 Machala, El Oro, Ecuador.

Machala, El Oro, Ecuador stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?: Tonight from Machala, El Oro, Ecuador expect a waxing crescent Moon at 14% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury. The night offers about 9.5 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?: Tonight in Machala, El Oro, Ecuador, Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury are visible to the naked eye after dark, based on this location's real ephemeris for tonight.
When does darkness start tonight in Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?: Astronomical darkness begins at 7:20 PM local time in Machala, El Oro, Ecuador 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 Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?: Machala, El Oro, Ecuador 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 Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?: Machala, El Oro, Ecuador 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.
Can I see both northern and southern constellations from Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?: Yes — this is the real advantage of an equatorial location. At 3.3° S, about 52.8% of the entire celestial sphere rises at some point in the year, so Polaris-side constellations and the Southern Cross region are both reachable across the seasons.
How good is the Milky Way from Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?: The Galactic Centre culminates around 64.3° above the horizon from here, high enough to clear most horizon haze. Local cloud and humidity, not geometry, are usually the limiting factor at tropical latitudes.
Are there seasons for stargazing in Machala, El Oro, Ecuador?: Night length barely changes at this latitude — twilight is short and the Sun sets steeply, so darkness arrives quickly all year. What changes is which part of the sky is on view after sunset, and, in monsoon-affected regions, how often the sky is clear at all.
How dark does it actually get in Machala, El Oro, Ecuador tonight?: About 9.5 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 Machala, El Oro, Ecuador.

More in El Oro

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across Ecuador

Other cities in Ecuador 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.

☄️ Orionids peaks in 7 days

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

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Machala, El Oro, Ecuador

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Machala?

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 Machala, El Oro, Ecuador.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Machala?

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