Live Sky Report
What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Mertola, Beja, Portugal?
Waxing Gibbous moon at 61%, Mars shines at magnitude 1.0. Calculated for 37.64°, -7.66° (Europe/Lisbon).
Visible planets tonight
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn — brightest: Mars at mag 1.0 in Cancer
🔭 Tonight's Sky Report
📍 Mertola, Beja, Portugal — Monday, October 19
Space weather observed: 3:00 PM UTC
Tonight's sky above Mertola, Beja, Portugal
Skywatchers in Mertola, Beja, Portugal have the same live tools professional observers use — a real ephemeris, live Kp readings from NOAA SWPC, and hourly cloud forecasts — condensed into one report on this page.
Local sky character in Mertola
Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 57 m elevation
- The north celestial pole stands 37.6° above the horizon, so stars within 38° of it never set from here.
- About 80.5% 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 23.4° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
- At 57 m elevation, roughly 1% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Mertola is small enough that local light domes are limited — on a clear, moonless night the Milky Way is realistically within reach.
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Astronomy near Mertola
Real great-circle distances from Mertola, Beja, Portugal.
- Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve — dark-sky place, 64 km away, 150 m
Best nights this month in Mertola
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 Mertola, Beja, Portugal. 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 Mertola, Beja, Portugal.
- 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.
Mertola, Beja, Portugal stargazing questions
- What can I see in the sky tonight from Mertola, Beja, Portugal?
- Tonight from Mertola, Beja, Portugal expect a waxing gibbous Moon at 61% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The night offers about 10.1 hours of true astronomical darkness.
- What planets are visible tonight in Mertola, Beja, Portugal?
- Tonight in Mertola, Beja, Portugal, 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 Mertola, Beja, Portugal?
- Astronomical darkness begins at 8:14 PM local time in Mertola, Beja, Portugal 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 Mertola, Beja, Portugal?
- Mertola, Beja, Portugal 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 Mertola, Beja, Portugal?
- Mertola, Beja, Portugal is a small town — typically Bortle class 1–4 (rural to excellent dark sky), where the Milky Way is usually visible on clear, moonless nights away from local lighting. 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.
- Where is the nearest dark-sky site to Mertola, Beja, Portugal?
- Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve lies about 64 km away. Distances are real great-circle distances from Mertola, Beja, Portugal's coordinates.
- When is the best time to stargaze near Mertola, Beja, Portugal?
- Combine two things this page computes: the astronomical darkness window (dusk to dawn), and the Moon. Nights within a few days of New Moon inside that window are the ones worth travelling for; the "best nights" section lists the next ones.
- How dark does it actually get in Mertola, Beja, Portugal tonight?
- About 10.1 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 Mertola, Beja, Portugal.
More in Beja
Other sky reports in the same region.
Sky tonight across Portugal
Other cities in Portugal 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 1 day
Up to 20 meteors/hour at peak, radiating from Orion.
Full viewing guide →Related astronomy for Mertola, Beja, Portugal
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this just astronomy weather for Mertola?
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 Mertola, Beja, Portugal.
What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Mertola?
The sky viewing conditions badge above reflects the real astronomy viewing conditions for Mertola, Beja, Portugal right now -- cloud cover, darkness, and moon interference combined, not moon phase alone. Good weather for stargazing depends on all of these together.