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Live Sky Report

What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France?

First Quarter moon at 52%, Mars shines at magnitude 1.0. Calculated for 43.30°, 5.38° (Europe/Paris).

Moon
First Quarter
52% lit
Sunset
6:49 PM
Dusk 8:24 PM
Dark hours
10.0 h
Dawn 6:23 AM
Aurora
Needs Kp 7.9+
Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

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

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France — Sunday, October 18

⭐ StargazingWeather telemetry updating
🌙 MoonFirst Quarter • 52% Illumination
🪐 Visible planetsMars, Jupiter, Saturn
🌠 Meteor activityOrionids in 2 days
🌌 Milky WayMuted by moonlight tonight
🛰️ ISSISS pass predictions unavailable
🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 1.7)
☁️ Cloud coverWeather telemetry updating
🌡️ TemperatureWeather telemetry updating

Space weather observed: 3:00 PM UTC

Tonight's sky above Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France's sky tonight is a real, computable state — every value on this page comes from live NOAA space weather data, live orbital elements for the ISS, and astronomy-engine's ephemeris for the Sun, Moon, and planets.

Local sky character in Marseille

Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 28 m elevation

  • The north celestial pole stands 43.3° above the horizon, so stars within 43° of it never set from here.
  • About 84.3% 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 17.7° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
  • At 28 m elevation, roughly 0% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Pole altitude
43.3°
Sky reachable
84.3%
Milky Way core
17.7° max
Aurora borealis
Kp 7.9+

Marseille 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…

Astronomy near Marseille

Real great-circle distances from Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France.

  • Haute-Provence Observatory — observatory, 75 km away, 650 m

Best nights this month in Marseille

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 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 Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. The Moon is 18% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is low.

  • 2026-11-08 — 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 Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France.

  • 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.

Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France?
Tonight from Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France expect a first quarter Moon at 52% 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 Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France?
Tonight in Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France, 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 Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France?
Astronomical darkness begins at 8:24 PM local time in Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France 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 Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France?
Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 7.9, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
What is the stargazing light pollution level in Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France?
Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France 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.
Does Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France's elevation help stargazing?
At 28 m you are above a meaningful fraction of the atmosphere, which reduces extinction and scintillation — the reason major observatories are sited high. Haute-Provence Observatory sits about 75 km from Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France at 650 m.
What should I plan for observing near Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France?
High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 17.7° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.
How dark does it actually get in Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France 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 Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France.

More in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

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.

🛰️ ISS Visibility

No visible ISS passes currently predicted for this location.

☄️ Orionids peaks in 2 days

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

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Marseille?

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 Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Marseille?

The sky viewing conditions badge above reflects the real astronomy viewing conditions for Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France right now -- cloud cover, darkness, and moon interference combined, not moon phase alone. Good weather for stargazing depends on all of these together.