Live Sky Report
What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Rotherham, England, United Kingdom?
Waning Crescent moon at 13%, Mars shines at magnitude 0.8. Calculated for 53.43°, -1.36° (Europe/London).
Visible planets tonight
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn — brightest: Mars at mag 0.8 in Leo
🔭 Tonight's Sky Report
📍 Rotherham, England, United Kingdom — Thursday, November 5
Weather observed: 5:00 PM UTC · Space weather observed: 12:00 PM UTC
Tonight's sky above Rotherham, England, United Kingdom
Whether tonight is a good night for stargazing from Rotherham, England, United Kingdom comes down to four real things: the Moon phase, cloud cover, which planets are up, and the current Kp index.
Local sky character in Rotherham
Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 41 m elevation
- The north celestial pole stands 53.4° above the horizon, so stars within 53° of it never set from here.
- About 90.2% 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 7.6° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
- At 41 m elevation, roughly 0% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Rotherham is a town-scale settlement, so the edge of the built-up area is often dark enough for the Milky Way on moonless nights.
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 0.7, 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.
Astronomy near Rotherham
Real great-circle distances from Rotherham, England, United Kingdom.
- Jodrell Bank Observatory — observatory, 67 km away, 77 m
Best nights this month in Rotherham
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 Rotherham, England, United Kingdom. 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 Rotherham, England, United Kingdom.
- 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.
Rotherham, England, United Kingdom stargazing questions
- What can I see in the sky tonight from Rotherham, England, United Kingdom?
- Tonight from Rotherham, England, United Kingdom expect a waning crescent Moon at 13% 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 Rotherham, England, United Kingdom?
- Tonight in Rotherham, England, United Kingdom, 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 Rotherham, England, United Kingdom?
- Astronomical darkness begins at 6:25 PM local time in Rotherham, England, United Kingdom 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 Rotherham, England, United Kingdom?
- Rotherham, England, United Kingdom is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 4.4, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
- What is the stargazing light pollution level in Rotherham, England, United Kingdom?
- Rotherham, England, United Kingdom 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.
- Is light pollution a problem in Rotherham, England, United Kingdom?
- Rotherham, England, United Kingdom 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 Rotherham, England, United Kingdom?
- The core reaches about 7.6° 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 Rotherham, England, United Kingdom 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 Rotherham, England, United Kingdom.
- Sky tonight in Sheffield, England, United Kingdom9 km
- Sky tonight in Kiveton Park, England, United Kingdom12 km
- Sky tonight in Cudworth, England, United Kingdom16 km
- Sky tonight in Stocksbridge, England, United Kingdom17 km
- Sky tonight in Adwick le Street, England, United Kingdom19 km
- Sky tonight in Bircotes, England, United Kingdom20 km
More in England
Other sky reports in the same region.
Sky tonight across United Kingdom
Other cities in United Kingdom with live sky reports.
- Sky tonight in Bolsover, England23 km
- Sky tonight in Clayton West, England25 km
- Sky tonight in Retford, England30 km
- Sky tonight in Castleford, England33 km
- Sky tonight in Mansfield, England35 km
- Sky tonight in Matlock, England35 km
- Sky tonight in Boughton, England36 km
- Sky tonight in Alfreton, England37 km
Popular astronomy destinations
Aurora hubs, dark-sky sites, and observatory towns.
☄️ Leonids peaks in 11 days
Up to 15 meteors/hour at peak, radiating from Leo.
Full viewing guide →Related astronomy for Rotherham, England, United Kingdom
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this just astronomy weather for Rotherham?
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 Rotherham, England, United Kingdom.
What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Rotherham?
The sky viewing conditions badge above reflects the real astronomy viewing conditions for Rotherham, England, United Kingdom right now -- cloud cover, darkness, and moon interference combined, not moon phase alone. Good weather for stargazing depends on all of these together.