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 Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France?

Tonight from Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France expect a new moon Moon at 0% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars. The night offers about 5.6 hours of true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution a problem in Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France?

Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France 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 Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France?

The core reaches about 14° 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 Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France tonight?

About 5.6 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 Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France?

New Moon moon at 0%, Venus shines at magnitude -4.4. Calculated for 46.99°, -1.82° (Europe/Paris).

Moon

New Moon

0% lit

Sunset

9:21 PM

Dusk 11:24 PM

Dark hours

5.6 h

Dawn 5:00 AM

Aurora

Needs Kp 6.6+

Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars — brightest: Venus at mag -4.4 in Virgo

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France — Wednesday, August 12

⭐ Stargazing—

🌙 MoonNew Moon • 0% Illumination

🪐 Visible planetsMars, Saturn

🌠 Meteor activityDraconids in 57 days

🌌 Milky WayVisible after dark, low moonlight

🛰️ ISSLoading…

🌈 Aurora—

☁️ Cloud cover—

🌡️ Temperature—

Tonight's sky above Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France

Whether tonight is a good night for stargazing from Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France comes down to four real things: the Moon phase, cloud cover, which planets are up, and the current Kp index.

Above Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France tonight (46.99°, -1.82°), expect a new moon moon at 0% illumination. The night gives 5.6 hours of true astronomical darkness. At 47.0°, aurora needs a strong storm — roughly Kp 6.6 or higher — to reach Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France.

Local sky character in Machecoul

Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 5 m elevation

The north celestial pole stands 47° above the horizon, so stars within 47° of it never set from here.
About 86.6% 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 14° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
At 5 m elevation, roughly 0% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Pole altitude

47°

Sky reachable

86.6%

Milky Way core

14° max

Aurora borealis

Kp 6.6+

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

Best nights this month in Machecoul

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

2026-08-12 — 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 Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France.
2026-08-12 — Perseids peak — up to 100/hour
Radiant in Perseus. Favours the Northern Hemisphere, which includes Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France. The Moon is 2% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is none.
2026-08-27 — 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.

Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France?: Tonight from Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France expect a new moon Moon at 0% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars. The night offers about 5.6 hours of true astronomical darkness.
Is light pollution a problem in Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France?: Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France 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 Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France?: The core reaches about 14° 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 Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France tonight?: About 5.6 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 Machecoul, Pays de la Loire, France.

More in Pays de la Loire

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across France

Other cities in France with live sky reports.

Popular astronomy destinations

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