Live Sky Report
What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland?
Waxing Gibbous moon at 61%, Mars shines at magnitude 1.0. Calculated for 53.16°, -7.19° (Europe/Dublin).
Visible planets tonight
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn — brightest: Mars at mag 1.0 in Cancer
🔭 Tonight's Sky Report
📍 Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland — Monday, October 19
Space weather observed: 3:00 PM UTC
Tonight's sky above Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland
Whether tonight is a good night for stargazing from Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland comes down to four real things: the Moon phase, cloud cover, which planets are up, and the current Kp index.
Local sky character in Portarlington
Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 67 m elevation
- The north celestial pole stands 53.2° above the horizon, so stars within 53° of it never set from here.
- About 90% 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 7.8° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
- At 67 m elevation, roughly 1% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Portarlington 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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Best nights this month in Portarlington
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 Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland. 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 Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland.
- 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.
Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland stargazing questions
- What can I see in the sky tonight from Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland?
- Tonight from Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland 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 9.9 hours of true astronomical darkness.
- What planets are visible tonight in Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland?
- Tonight in Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland, 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 Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland?
- Astronomical darkness begins at 8:17 PM local time in Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland 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 Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland?
- Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 4.5, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
- What is the stargazing light pollution level in Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland?
- Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland 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.
- Is light pollution a problem in Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland?
- Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland 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 Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland?
- The core reaches about 7.8° 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 Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland tonight?
- About 9.9 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 Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland.
More in Leinster
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Sky tonight across Ireland
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Full viewing guide →Related astronomy for Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this just astronomy weather for Portarlington?
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 Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland.
What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Portarlington?
The sky viewing conditions badge above reflects the real astronomy viewing conditions for Portarlington, Leinster, Ireland right now -- cloud cover, darkness, and moon interference combined, not moon phase alone. Good weather for stargazing depends on all of these together.