What planets are visible tonight?

Which planets are visible depends on your date and location. Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn are the four naked-eye planets that are frequently visible; Mercury is visible only in brief windows near sunrise or sunset. Enter your city above and the report will list the planets currently above the horizon after dark.

Can I see the Northern Lights tonight?

Aurora visibility depends on the Kp index and your geomagnetic latitude. At Kp 3, aurora is typically visible only near the Arctic and Antarctic circles. At Kp 5 (a G1 storm), the auroral oval expands south into the northern U.S. and northern Europe. At Kp 7+ it can reach mid-latitudes. The report above compares your latitude to the current auroral boundary in real time.

Is there a meteor shower tonight?

There are around a dozen major meteor showers each year. The report above shows the next active shower and how many days until its peak. For best viewing, look after midnight from a dark location with the shower's radiant above the horizon.

When will the ISS pass over tonight?

The International Space Station passes overhead multiple times per day, but only some passes are visible (bright, after dusk or before dawn, and above the horizon). The report above shows the next visible pass time for your location, computed from live NORAD orbital elements.

What can I see in the sky tonight from Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa?

Tonight from Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa 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 10.4 hours of true astronomical darkness.

Does Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa's elevation help stargazing?

At 504 m you are above a meaningful fraction of the atmosphere, which reduces extinction and scintillation — the reason major observatories are sited high. South African Astronomical Observatory (SALT) sits about 138 km from Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa at 1798 m.

What should I plan for observing near Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa?

High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 85.5° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.

How dark does it actually get in Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa tonight?

About 10.4 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 Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa?

New Moon moon at 0%, Venus shines at magnitude -4.4. Calculated for -33.50°, 21.44° (Africa/Johannesburg).

Moon

New Moon

0% lit

Sunset

6:03 PM

Dusk 7:27 PM

Dark hours

10.4 h

Dawn 5:49 AM

Aurora

Needs Kp 9+

Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars — brightest: Venus at mag -4.4 in Virgo

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa — Thursday, August 13

⭐ Stargazing—

🌙 MoonNew Moon • 0% Illumination

🪐 Visible planetsMars, Saturn

🌠 Meteor activityDraconids in 56 days

🌌 Milky WayVisible after dark, low moonlight

🛰️ ISSLoading…

🌈 Aurora—

☁️ Cloud cover—

🌡️ Temperature—

Tonight's sky above Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa

Whether tonight is a good night for stargazing from Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa comes down to four real things: the Moon phase, cloud cover, which planets are up, and the current Kp index.

Above Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa tonight (-33.50°, 21.44°), expect a new moon moon at 0% illumination. The night gives 10.4 hours of true astronomical darkness. At 33.5°, aurora needs a strong storm — roughly Kp 9 or higher — to reach Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa.

Local sky character in Zoar

Southern mid-latitudes · southern hemisphere · 504 m elevation

The south celestial pole stands 33.5° above the horizon, so stars within 34° of it never set from here.
About 77.6% 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 85.5° up, passing almost directly overhead.
The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are circumpolar here — visible on any clear, dark night of the year.
At 504 m elevation, roughly 6% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Pole altitude

33.5°

Sky reachable

77.6%

Milky Way core

85.5° max

Aurora australis

Kp 9+

Zoar is small enough that local light domes are limited — on a clear, moonless night the Milky Way is realistically within reach.

Astronomy near Zoar

Real great-circle distances from Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa.

South African Astronomical Observatory (SALT) — observatory, 138 km away, 1798 m
Sutherland Karoo Dark Sky Area — dark-sky place, 140 km away, 1500 m

Best nights this month in Zoar

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 Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa.
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.

Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa?: Tonight from Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa 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 10.4 hours of true astronomical darkness.
Does Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa's elevation help stargazing?: At 504 m you are above a meaningful fraction of the atmosphere, which reduces extinction and scintillation — the reason major observatories are sited high. South African Astronomical Observatory (SALT) sits about 138 km from Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa at 1798 m.
What should I plan for observing near Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa?: High sites reward targets that suffer most from atmosphere: planets at high altitude, faint nebulae, and the Milky Way, which culminates around 85.5° here. Cold and thinner air are the practical constraints, not the sky.
How dark does it actually get in Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa tonight?: About 10.4 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 Zoar, Western Cape, South Africa.

More in Western Cape

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across South Africa

Other cities in South Africa with live sky reports.

Popular astronomy destinations

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