Live Sky Report
What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in San Rafael, México, Mexico?
New Moon moon at 0%, Venus shines at magnitude -4.4. Calculated for 19.21°, -98.76° (America/Mexico_City).
Visible planets tonight
Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars — brightest: Venus at mag -4.4 in Virgo
🔭 Tonight's Sky Report
📍 San Rafael, México, Mexico — Thursday, August 13
Tonight's sky above San Rafael, México, Mexico
Whether tonight is a good night for stargazing from San Rafael, México, Mexico comes down to four real things: the Moon phase, cloud cover, which planets are up, and the current Kp index.
Above San Rafael, México, Mexico tonight (19.21°, -98.76°), expect a new moon moon at 0% illumination. The night gives 8.6 hours of true astronomical darkness. At 19.2°, aurora needs a strong storm — roughly Kp 9 or higher — to reach San Rafael, México, Mexico.
Local sky character in San Rafael
Tropical / equatorial latitudes · northern hemisphere · 2552 m elevation
- The north celestial pole stands 19.2° above the horizon, so stars within 19° of it never set from here.
- About 66.5% 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 41.8° up, clearing the horizon haze comfortably.
- The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 1.1° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
- At 2552 m elevation, roughly 26% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
San Rafael 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 San Rafael
Calculated for these coordinates and today's date — not a fixed list.
- 2026-08-13 — 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 San Rafael, México, Mexico.
- 2026-08-28 — 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.
San Rafael, México, Mexico stargazing questions
- What can I see in the sky tonight from San Rafael, México, Mexico?
- Tonight from San Rafael, México, Mexico 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 8.6 hours of true astronomical darkness.
- Does San Rafael, México, Mexico's elevation help stargazing?
- At 2552 m you are above a meaningful fraction of the atmosphere, which reduces extinction and scintillation — the reason major observatories are sited high.
- What should I plan for observing near San Rafael, México, Mexico?
- High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 41.8° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.
- How dark does it actually get in San Rafael, México, Mexico tonight?
- About 8.6 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 San Rafael, México, Mexico.
More in México
Other sky reports in the same region.
Sky tonight across Mexico
Other cities in Mexico with live sky reports.
Popular astronomy destinations
Aurora hubs, dark-sky sites, and observatory towns.