Live Sky Report
What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland?
New Moon moon at 0%, Venus shines at magnitude -4.4. Calculated for 46.90°, 8.25° (Europe/Zurich).
Visible planets tonight
Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars — brightest: Venus at mag -4.4 in Virgo
🔭 Tonight's Sky Report
📍 Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland — Wednesday, August 12
Tonight's sky above Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland
Skywatchers in Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland have the same live tools professional observers use — a real ephemeris, live Kp readings from NOAA SWPC, and hourly cloud forecasts — condensed into one report on this page.
Above Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland tonight (46.90°, 8.25°), expect a new moon moon at 0% illumination. The night gives 5.6 hours of true astronomical darkness. At 46.9°, aurora needs a strong storm — roughly Kp 6.7 or higher — to reach Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland.
Local sky character in Sarnen
Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 473 m elevation
- The north celestial pole stands 46.9° above the horizon, so stars within 47° of it never set from here.
- About 86.5% 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 14.1° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
- At 473 m elevation, roughly 5% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Sarnen is small enough that local light domes are limited — on a clear, moonless night the Milky Way is realistically within reach.
Astronomy near Sarnen
Real great-circle distances from Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland.
- Sphinx Observatory — observatory, 44 km away, 3571 m
Best nights this month in Sarnen
Calculated for these coordinates and today's date — not a fixed list.
- 2026-08-12 — 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 Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland.
- 2026-08-12 — Perseids peak — up to 100/hour
Radiant in Perseus. Favours the Northern Hemisphere, which includes Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland. The Moon is 2% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is none.
- 2026-08-27 — 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.
Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland stargazing questions
- What can I see in the sky tonight from Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland?
- Tonight from Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland 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 5.6 hours of true astronomical darkness.
- Does Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland's elevation help stargazing?
- At 473 m you are above a meaningful fraction of the atmosphere, which reduces extinction and scintillation — the reason major observatories are sited high. Sphinx Observatory sits about 44 km from Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland at 3571 m.
- What should I plan for observing near Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland?
- High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 14.1° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.
- How dark does it actually get in Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland tonight?
- About 5.6 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 Sarnen, Obwalden, Switzerland.
Sky tonight across Switzerland
Other cities in Switzerland with live sky reports.
Popular astronomy destinations
Aurora hubs, dark-sky sites, and observatory towns.