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Live Sky Report

What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Saint Paul, MN?

Waning Crescent moon at 13%, Mars shines at magnitude 0.8. Calculated for 44.95°, -93.09° (America/Chicago).

Moon
Waning Crescent
13% lit
Sunset
4:54 PM
Dusk 6:34 PM
Dark hours
10.7 h
Dawn 5:17 AM
Aurora
Needs Kp 7.3+
Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

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

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Saint Paul, MN — Thursday, November 5

⭐ StargazingGood
🌙 MoonWaning Crescent • 13% Illumination
🪐 Visible planetsVenus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
🌠 Meteor activityLeonids in 11 days
🌌 Milky WayVisible after dark, low moonlight
🛰️ ISSNext pass ~Nov 10, 6:30 PM CST
🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 0.7)
☁️ Cloud cover20%
🌡️ Temperature48°F

Weather observed: 3:00 PM UTC · Space weather observed: 12:00 PM UTC

Tonight's sky above Saint Paul, MN

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

Local sky character in Saint Paul

Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere

  • The north celestial pole stands 45° above the horizon, so stars within 45° of it never set from here.
  • About 85.3% 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 16° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
Pole altitude
45°
Sky reachable
85.3%
Milky Way core
16° max
Aurora borealis
Kp 7.3+
GoodSky Viewing Conditions tonight

What does this mean for you?

Your Sky Briefing

Right now
The sky is currently too bright for stargazing or aurora viewing.
Tonight
Skies are expected to stay mostly clear, with minimal interference from the Moon.
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.

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

Best nights this month in Saint Paul

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 Saint Paul, MN. 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 Saint Paul, MN.

  • 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.

Saint Paul, MN stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Saint Paul, MN?
Tonight from Saint Paul, MN expect a waning crescent Moon at 13% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus. The night offers about 10.7 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Saint Paul, MN?
Tonight in Saint Paul, MN, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus are visible to the naked eye after dark, based on this location's real ephemeris for tonight.
When does darkness start tonight in Saint Paul, MN?
Astronomical darkness begins at 6:34 PM local time in Saint Paul, MN 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 Saint Paul, MN?
Saint Paul, MN is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 7.3, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
What is the stargazing light pollution level in Saint Paul, MN?
Saint Paul, MN doesn't have a population figure in our location data, so we can't estimate a sky-glow category here. A dedicated light-pollution map will give a precise reading for this spot.
Is light pollution a problem in Saint Paul, MN?
Saint Paul, MN 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 Saint Paul, MN?
The core reaches about 16° 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 Saint Paul, MN tonight?
About 10.7 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 Saint Paul, MN.

More in MN

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across United States

Other cities in United States with live sky reports.

Popular astronomy destinations

Aurora hubs, dark-sky sites, and observatory towns.

🛰️ ISS Visibility

Next visible pass rises at 12:30 AM, lasting about 5 minutes.

4 more visible passes predicted in this window.

☄️ Leonids peaks in 11 days

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

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Saint Paul, MN

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Saint Paul?

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 Saint Paul, MN.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Saint Paul?

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