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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?

Tonight from Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda expect a waxing crescent Moon at 35% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury. The night offers about 9.6 hours of true astronomical darkness.

What planets are visible tonight in Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?

Tonight in Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda, 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?

Astronomical darkness begins at 7:40 PM local time in Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?

Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?

Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda 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.

Can I see both northern and southern constellations from Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?

Yes — this is the real advantage of an equatorial location. At 1.1° N, about 50.9% 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?

The Galactic Centre culminates around 59.9° 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?

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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?

Waxing Crescent moon at 35%, Saturn shines at magnitude 0.3. Calculated for 1.08°, 34.17° (Africa/Kampala).

Moon

Waxing Crescent

35% lit

Sunset

6:31 PM

Dusk 7:40 PM

Dark hours

9.6 h

Dawn 5:16 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

📍 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda — Saturday, October 17

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.

⭐ StargazingPoor

🌙 MoonWaxing Crescent • 35% Illumination

🪐 Visible planetsMercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn

🌠 Meteor activityOrionids in 4 days

🌌 Milky WayMuted by moonlight tonight

🛰️ ISSISS pass predictions unavailable

🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 2.3)

☁️ Cloud cover98%

🌡️ Temperature67°F

Weather observed: 12:15 AM UTC · Space weather observed: 9:00 PM UTC

Tonight's sky above Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda

Whether tonight is a good night for stargazing from Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda comes down to four real things: the Moon phase, cloud cover, which planets are up, and the current Kp index.

Local sky character in Mbale

Tropical / equatorial latitudes · northern hemisphere · 1125 m elevation

The north celestial pole stands 1.1° above the horizon, so stars within 1° of it never set from here.
About 50.9% 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 59.9° up, clearing the horizon haze comfortably.
The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 19.2° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
At 1125 m elevation, roughly 12% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Pole altitude

1.1°

Sky reachable

50.9%

Milky Way core

59.9° max

Aurora borealis

Kp 9+

Mbale is a town-scale settlement, so the edge of the built-up area is often dark enough for the Milky Way on moonless nights.

PoorSky 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 2.3, quiet) is not strong enough to bring the aurora to your latitude.
Weather: No significant rain, wind or temperature extremes are expected overnight.

Tonight is not a strong night for stargazing -- check back tomorrow.

What is a geomagnetic storm?How do auroras form?

Best nights this month in Mbale

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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda. 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda.

Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?: Tonight from Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda expect a waxing crescent Moon at 35% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury. The night offers about 9.6 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?: Tonight in Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda, 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?: Astronomical darkness begins at 7:40 PM local time in Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?: Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?: Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda 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.
Can I see both northern and southern constellations from Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?: Yes — this is the real advantage of an equatorial location. At 1.1° N, about 50.9% 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?: The Galactic Centre culminates around 59.9° 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda?: 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda 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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda.

More in Eastern Region

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across Uganda

Other cities in Uganda 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 4 days

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

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Mbale?

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 Mbale, Eastern Region, Uganda.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Mbale?

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