What can I see in the sky tonight from Swindon, England, United Kingdom?

Tonight from Swindon, 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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom?

Tonight in Swindon, 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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom?

Astronomical darkness begins at 6:27 PM local time in Swindon, 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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom?

Swindon, 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 5.1, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.

What is the stargazing light pollution level in Swindon, England, United Kingdom?

Swindon, 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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom?

Swindon, 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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom?

The core reaches about 9.4° 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 Swindon, 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.

Live Sky Report

What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Swindon, England, United Kingdom?

Waning Crescent moon at 13%, Mars shines at magnitude 0.8. Calculated for 51.56°, -1.78° (Europe/London).

Moon

Waning Crescent

13% lit

Sunset

4:32 PM

Dusk 6:27 PM

Dark hours

10.8 h

Dawn 5:14 AM

Aurora

Needs Kp 5.1+

Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

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

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Swindon, England, United Kingdom — 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.

⭐ StargazingPoor

🌙 MoonWaning Crescent • 13% Illumination

🪐 Visible planetsMars, Jupiter, Saturn

🌠 Meteor activityLeonids in 11 days

🌌 Milky WayVisible after dark, low moonlight

🛰️ ISSISS pass predictions unavailable

🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 0.7)

☁️ Cloud cover91%

🌡️ Temperature49°F

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

Tonight's sky above Swindon, England, United Kingdom

Whether tonight is a good night for stargazing from Swindon, 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 Swindon

Northern mid-latitudes · northern hemisphere · 113 m elevation

The north celestial pole stands 51.6° above the horizon, so stars within 52° of it never set from here.
About 89.2% 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 9.4° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
At 113 m elevation, roughly 1% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Pole altitude

51.6°

Sky reachable

89.2%

Milky Way core

9.4° max

Aurora borealis

Kp 5.1+

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

FairSky Viewing Conditions tonight

What does this mean for you?

Your Sky Briefing

Right now: The sky is transitioning toward darkness.
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.

Conditions tonight are mixed -- check the details below.

What is a geomagnetic storm?How do auroras form?

Astronomy near Swindon

Real great-circle distances from Swindon, England, United Kingdom.

Royal Observatory Greenwich — observatory, 124 km away, 45 m
Exmoor Dark Sky Reserve — dark-sky place, 138 km away, 300 m

Best nights this month in Swindon

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 Swindon, 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 Swindon, 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.

Swindon, England, United Kingdom stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Swindon, England, United Kingdom?: Tonight from Swindon, 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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom?: Tonight in Swindon, 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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom?: Astronomical darkness begins at 6:27 PM local time in Swindon, 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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom?: Swindon, 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 5.1, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
What is the stargazing light pollution level in Swindon, England, United Kingdom?: Swindon, 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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom?: Swindon, 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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom?: The core reaches about 9.4° 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 Swindon, 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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom.

More in England

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom 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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Swindon?

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 Swindon, England, United Kingdom.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Swindon?

The sky viewing conditions badge above reflects the real astronomy viewing conditions for Swindon, 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.