What can I see in the sky tonight from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?

Tonight from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India expect a waning crescent Moon at 14% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus. The night offers about 10.5 hours of true astronomical darkness.

What planets are visible tonight in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?

Tonight in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India, 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 Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?

Astronomical darkness begins at 6:51 PM local time in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India 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 Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 9, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.

What is the stargazing light pollution level in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India 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.

Does Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India's elevation help stargazing?

At 2073 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 Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?

High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 29.9° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.

How dark does it actually get in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India tonight?

About 10.5 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.

Live Sky Report

What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?

Name: Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
Address: Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, IN

Waning Crescent moon at 14%, Mars shines at magnitude 0.8. Calculated for 31.10°, 77.17° (Asia/Kolkata).

Moon

Waning Crescent

14% lit

Sunset

5:29 PM

Dusk 6:51 PM

Dark hours

10.5 h

Dawn 5:18 AM

Aurora

Needs Kp 9+

Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

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

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India — Thursday, November 5

Live cloud cover, temperature, ISS passes and aurora odds load in your browser and need JavaScript. The moon, planet and meteor rows below are calculated without it.

⭐ StargazingExcellent

🌙 MoonWaning Crescent • 14% Illumination

🪐 Visible planetsVenus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn

🌠 Meteor activityLeonids in 11 days

🌌 Milky WayVisible after dark, low moonlight

🛰️ ISSISS pass predictions unavailable

🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 1.3)

☁️ Cloud cover3%

🌡️ Temperature51°F

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

Tonight's sky above Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India

Above Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India tonight, the sky is a live system: the Moon's illumination, which planets have cleared the horizon, and whether Earth's magnetosphere is quiet or churning all change hour by hour.

Local sky character in Shimla

Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 2073 m elevation

The north celestial pole stands 31.1° above the horizon, so stars within 31° of it never set from here.
About 75.8% 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 29.9° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
At 2073 m elevation, roughly 22% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Pole altitude

31.1°

Sky reachable

75.8%

Milky Way core

29.9° max

Aurora borealis

Kp 9+

Shimla is a town-scale settlement, so the edge of the built-up area is often dark enough for the Milky Way on moonless nights.

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 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 Shimla

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 Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India. 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 Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India.
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.

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?: Tonight from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India expect a waning crescent Moon at 14% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus. The night offers about 10.5 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?: Tonight in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India, 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 Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?: Astronomical darkness begins at 6:51 PM local time in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India 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 Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?: Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 9, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
What is the stargazing light pollution level in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?: Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India 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.
Does Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India's elevation help stargazing?: At 2073 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 Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India?: High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 29.9° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.
How dark does it actually get in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India tonight?: About 10.5 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 Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India.

More in Himachal Pradesh

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across India

Other cities in India 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 Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Shimla?

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 Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Shimla?

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