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Live Sky Report

What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Riga, Riga, Latvia?

Waning Crescent moon at 14%, Mars shines at magnitude 0.8. Calculated for 56.95°, 24.11° (Europe/Riga).

Moon
Waning Crescent
14% lit
Sunset
4:31 PM
Dusk 6:42 PM
Dark hours
10.8 h
Dawn 5:32 AM
Aurora
Needs Kp 3.2+
Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

Mars, Jupiter, Saturn — brightest: Mars at mag 0.8 in Leo

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Riga, Riga, Latvia — Thursday, November 5

⭐ StargazingFair
🌙 MoonWaning Crescent • 14% Illumination
🪐 Visible planetsMars, Jupiter, Saturn
🌠 Meteor activityLeonids in 11 days
🌌 Milky WayVisible after dark, low moonlight
🛰️ ISSISS pass predictions unavailable
🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 1.3)
☁️ Cloud cover70%
🌡️ Temperature50°F

Weather observed: 2:00 PM UTC · Space weather observed: 9:00 AM UTC

Tonight's sky above Riga, Riga, Latvia

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

Local sky character in Riga

Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 6 m elevation

  • The north celestial pole stands 56.9° above the horizon, so stars within 57° of it never set from here.
  • About 91.9% 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 4.1° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
  • At 6 m elevation, roughly 0% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Pole altitude
56.9°
Sky reachable
91.9%
Milky Way core
4.1° max
Aurora borealis
Kp 3.2+

Riga is a mid-sized urban area — bright constellations and planets work from town; faint deep-sky objects need a drive out.

GoodSky Viewing Conditions tonight

What does this mean for you?

Your Sky Briefing

Right now
Full astronomical darkness right now — a good time to look up.
Tonight
Cloud cover is the main factor limiting visibility tonight.
Aurora
Current geomagnetic activity (Kp 1.3, quiet) is not strong enough to bring the aurora to your latitude.
Weather
No significant rain, wind or temperature extremes are expected overnight.

Skies should be clear tonight, making it a good night for stargazing, although aurora activity is unlikely.

What is a geomagnetic storm?How do auroras form?

Best nights this month in Riga

Calculated for these coordinates and today's date — not a fixed list.

  • 2026-11-05 — Taurids peak — up to 5/hour

    Radiant in Taurus. Favours the Northern Hemisphere, which includes Riga, Riga, Latvia. 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 Riga, Riga, Latvia.

  • 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.

  • 2026-11-24 — 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.

Riga, Riga, Latvia stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Riga, Riga, Latvia?
Tonight from Riga, Riga, Latvia expect a waning crescent Moon at 14% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. The night offers about 10.8 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Riga, Riga, Latvia?
Tonight in Riga, Riga, Latvia, 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 Riga, Riga, Latvia?
Astronomical darkness begins at 6:42 PM local time in Riga, Riga, Latvia 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 Riga, Riga, Latvia?
Riga, Riga, Latvia is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 3.2, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
What is the stargazing light pollution level in Riga, Riga, Latvia?
Riga, Riga, Latvia 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.
How likely are the northern lights in Riga, Riga, Latvia?
Riga, Riga, Latvia sits at 56.9° N, inside the latitude range the auroral oval reaches on ordinary active nights — the oval sits near 58° geomagnetic latitude at Kp 3. A stronger disturbance — around Kp 3.2 — is still needed for the display to reach overhead.
What time of night is best for aurora watching in Riga, Riga, Latvia?
Auroral substorms cluster around local magnetic midnight, so the hours either side of midnight are statistically strongest. You also need real darkness: this page's dusk and dawn times mark the usable window, and the window is longest around the winter months.
Do I need to leave Riga, Riga, Latvia to see the aurora?
Riga, Riga, Latvia is a substantial urban area, and city sky glow hides everything but the brightest arcs. Moving even 20–30 km away from the built-up core, with an unobstructed view toward the north, changes what is visible far more than any camera setting.
How dark does it actually get in Riga, Riga, Latvia tonight?
About 10.8 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 Riga, Riga, Latvia.

Sky tonight across Latvia

Other cities in Latvia 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.

☄️ Leonids peaks in 11 days

Up to 15 meteors/hour at peak, radiating from Leo.

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Riga, Riga, Latvia

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Riga?

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 Riga, Riga, Latvia.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Riga?

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