Live Sky Report
What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal?
New Moon moon at 0%, Venus shines at magnitude -4.4. Calculated for 42.08°, -8.48° (Europe/Lisbon).
Visible planets tonight
Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars — brightest: Venus at mag -4.4 in Virgo
🔭 Tonight's Sky Report
📍 Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal — Wednesday, August 12
Tonight's sky above Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal
Above Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal tonight, the sky is a live system: the Moon's illumination, which planets have cleared the horizon, and whether Earth's magnetosphere is quiet or churning all change hour by hour.
Above Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal tonight (42.08°, -8.48°), expect a new moon moon at 0% illumination. The night gives 6.5 hours of true astronomical darkness. At 42.1°, aurora needs a strong storm — roughly Kp 8.3 or higher — to reach Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal.
Local sky character in Moncao
Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 34 m elevation
- The north celestial pole stands 42.1° above the horizon, so stars within 42° of it never set from here.
- About 83.5% 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 18.9° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
- At 34 m elevation, roughly 0% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Moncao 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 Moncao
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 Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal.
- 2026-08-12 — Perseids peak — up to 100/hour
Radiant in Perseus. Favours the Northern Hemisphere, which includes Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal. 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.
Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal stargazing questions
- What can I see in the sky tonight from Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal?
- Tonight from Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal 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 6.5 hours of true astronomical darkness.
- Is light pollution a problem in Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal?
- Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal 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 Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal?
- The core reaches about 18.9° 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 Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal tonight?
- About 6.5 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 Moncao, Viana do Castelo, Portugal.
More in Viana do Castelo
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.
