Tonight above · estimated
The sky
above you
A journey from where you stand to the edge of the Milky Way – and back to the stars you can see tonight.
01 · Look up
0stars to the naked eye
That’s how many stars you can see under a truly dark sky without any optics. In a city it’s often just a few hundred – light pollution swallows the rest.
02 · Constellations
88 constellations
For thousands of years people have joined the brightest points into figures. Today 88 official constellations divide the whole sky – like countries on a map.
03 · The Moon
Our companion
It always shows us the same face. Its phases appear because we see it at changing angles to the Sun – the light you see is reflected sunlight.
04 · Planets
Wandering stars
Planets drift slowly across the constellations – hence their Greek name: the wanderers. Five of them are visible without a telescope.
05 · The Milky Way
Our galaxy
100,000 light-years across, 100 to 400 billion stars. The pale band in the night sky is our view into its disc – from the inside.
Live · for your location
The sky, right now
Drag to look around, scroll or pinch to zoom, tap for details. On a phone: switch on the compass and hold your device up to the sky.
The Sun is up right now – but the stars are still there.
Guide
All 88 constellations
Myths, history and the best observing tips – and whether you can see them from where you are.
Observing planner ·
Tonight
What’s worth a look tonight – calculated for your location and time zone.