Moon Phases
New Moon—
First Quarter—
Full Moon—
Last Quarter—
New moon nights are best for faint stars. Full moon nights wash out dim objects but make the moon itself spectacular.
No telescope needed
What’s in the sky tonight?
A month-by-month pocket guide to the planets, constellations, moon phases, and bright events you can see with just your eyes. Pick your month, step outside, and look up.
This Month’s Sky
Highlights for the current selection.
Bright Events
- Check the planets panel below for what’s visible in your evening or morning sky this month.
Meteor showers and eclipses appear here when scheduled. Most months have at least one minor shower.
Planets You Can See Now
Planets don’t twinkle like stars. They look like steady, bright points of light. Here’s what’s up this month.
Quick tip: Venus is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon. It’s often called the “evening star” or “morning star” depending on when it rises. Jupiter is the second brightest and has a warm, golden glow. Saturn looks like a steady yellowish dot. Mars has a reddish tint and can vary wildly in brightness.
Constellations This Month
Groups of stars that form recognizable patterns. Use the brightness key below to know which ones stand out.
Brightness guide
- Very bright — visible even from a lit city parking lot
- Bright — easy from suburbs, clear from city edges
- Medium — needs a reasonably dark sky
- Faint — best from rural areas away from streetlights
- Very faint — dark country skies required
ISS Pass Predictions
The International Space Station looks like a bright, steady light gliding across the sky. No blinking lights. No sound. It takes about 5-6 minutes to cross from horizon to horizon.
Next visible pass (sample)
- Date
- Tonight
- Rises
- 8:42 PM — WSW
- Highest point
- 8:45 PM — 62° altitude, due South
- Sets
- 8:48 PM — ENE
- Max brightness
- Brighter than Jupiter (-3.8)
This is a representative pass for illustration. Real-time pass data requires a location lookup, which this offline guide cannot provide. Check NASA’s Spot the Station for your exact location.
How to spot the ISS
- Go outside a few minutes before the listed rise time.
- Face the direction listed under “Rises.”
- Look for a single bright dot moving steadily. No flashing.
- It will climb, possibly pass overhead, then fade as it enters Earth’s shadow.
ISS vs. airplane
- Airplane: blinking red/white lights, moves slower across the sky, may hear engine noise.
- ISS: one steady white light, moves faster, no sound, no blinking.
Sky Pocket Guide
Everything you need to enjoy the night sky without any equipment.
How to read this guide
Pick your month at the top of the page. The panels below update to show what’s visible. Each planet card tells you when to look (evening or morning), which direction to face, and how bright it will appear. Constellation cards include the brightest star in that group and a simple shape description you can trace with your eyes.
The moon phase strip shows when the moon is new, half, or full. Plan your stargazing around new moon nights for the darkest skies. Save full moon nights for moon watching itself. The moon is stunning through nothing more than your own eyes.
Planet or star? Satellite or airplane?
Planet vs. star: Stars twinkle. Planets usually don’t. If the bright light in the sky stays steady and doesn’t flicker, it’s probably a planet. Also, planets always appear along a band across the sky called the ecliptic. If the bright object is off that band, it’s almost certainly a star.
Satellite vs. airplane: Satellites look like slow-moving steady dots. They don’t blink and they don’t change direction. Airplanes have blinking lights and move with a slight curve. The ISS is the brightest satellite and moves faster than most others.
Shooting star: A quick streak of light that lasts less than a second. These are tiny bits of space dust burning up in the atmosphere. You might see one or two per hour on a normal night. During a meteor shower, you might see dozens.
Common mistakes beginners make
- Looking too soon. Your eyes need about 20 minutes to fully adapt to the dark. Give yourself time. Avoid looking at your phone screen. If you need light, use a red-light flashlight.
- Expecting Hubble images. The naked-eye sky is subtler than photos suggest. Most nebulae and galaxies are too faint to see without binoculars or a telescope. Focus on bright stars, planets, and the moon first.
- Ignoring the horizon. Many great objects are low in the sky. Find a spot with a clear view in the direction listed on this page. A rooftop, hilltop, or open field works well.
- Checking only once. The sky changes through the night. A planet that rises at 10 PM won’t be visible at 7 PM. Check the rise times on this guide.
Stargazing with kids
Kids love spotting things, so give them a mission. Ask them to find the brightest object in the sky. Challenge them to count how many stars they can see in a small patch of sky. Trace a constellation shape with your finger and have them copy it. Bring a blanket, hot chocolate, and a red-light headlamp so you can read this guide without ruining your night vision.
A simple pair of binoculars (7x50 or 10x50) opens up craters on the moon, Jupiter’s four largest moons, and star clusters. You don’t need anything expensive. Even cheap binoculars reveal a surprising amount.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I tell a planet from a star?
- Planets don’t twinkle. Stars do. Planets also follow a path near the ecliptic, the same band the Sun and Moon travel across the sky.
- What is the best time to stargaze?
- One to two hours after sunset, once the sky is fully dark. New moon nights are best for faint objects. Full moon nights are great for moon watching but wash out dimmer stars.
- Can I see the ISS with my eyes?
- Yes. It looks like a bright, steady point of light moving smoothly across the sky. No blinking. No sound. It takes about 5-6 minutes to cross from one horizon to the other.
- Why can’t I see the constellations listed for my month?
- Light pollution, trees, buildings, and hills all block parts of the sky. Some constellations are very low on the horizon. Try a darker location outside the city for the best view.
- What should I bring on a stargazing night?
- Warm clothes (it feels colder than you expect), a red-light headlamp, a blanket or reclining chair, and this guide. Binoculars are a great bonus but not required.
- How long until my eyes adjust to the dark?
- About 20 minutes. Avoid white light during that time. Red light preserves your night vision, which is why astronomers use red flashlights.
Print this month’s sky card
Click the button below to open a printable one-page summary for the selected month. Fold it up, put it in your pocket, and take it outside with you. It includes the moon phase, visible planets with rise times, and the top constellations with direction cues.
Share links encode the selected month in the URL so you can send it to a friend or bookmark your favorite month.
Recommended Gear
Red-Light Headlamp for Stargazing
A red-light headlamp preserves your night vision while you read a sky chart or find your way across a field. White light resets your dark adaptation and takes 20 minutes to recover from. Red light keeps your eyes ready to see faint stars.
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