What can you see in the night sky tonight? Find out what’s on view in our monthly stargazing guide.
What’s in the night sky tonight?
Those of us who enjoy stargazing and observing the night sky can’t always plan when and where we’re going to get the chance to gaze upwards.
Busy schedules, light pollution, the weather: sometimes finding even just 30 minutes to stand and stare up at a clear, dark night sky and take in the planets, stars and constellations can be a feat in itself.
So when you do find the time, you’ll need to know what’s visible in the night sky tonight, and the best things to look out for when stargazing.
Complete newcomer? Read our guides to the best telescopes for beginners and astronomy for beginners.
Here’s our stargazing guide to what you can see in the night sky tonight.
Our guide is centred around what’s visible from the UK, but all northern hemisphere observers should be able to use it, with the odd adjustment to stated times.
In our guide, we useUniversal Time (UT) and British Summer Time (BST). UT is the standard time used by astronomers around the world. BST is one hour ahead of UT
We also use RA (Right ascension)and dec. (declination).
These coordinates are the night sky’s equivalent of longitude and latitude, describing where an object is on the celestial ‘globe’.
For help with these, read our guide to celestial coordinates.
For more advice, read our guide on how to stargaze or sign up to receive the BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter for weekly tips delivered directly to your email inbox.
What’s visible in the night sky tonight?
Sunday 27 August
Saturn reaches opposition today. It’s currently shining at mag. +0.3 and from the centre of the UK reaches an altitude of 25° when due south.
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Thursday 31 August
Today sees the second full Moon of the month which, although not technically correct, is known in popular culture as a Blue Moon. As it is also a perigee full Moon, or supermoon, it has gained the name Super Blue Moon.
Find out how to see the August Super Blue Moon.
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
September 2023
Out looking at the night sky tonight? Here is our pick of some of the celestial highlights this month.
Autumn equinox
The September autumn equinox occurs at 07:50 BST (06:50 UT) on 23 September, the time when the centre of the Sun’s disc crosses the celestial equator, the apparent movement of the Sun moving it from the northern to southern half of the sky.
This is the time of year when the length of night grows at its fastest rate.
Harvest Moon
The nearest full Moon to the equinox is the Harvest Moon.
At this time of year, the geometry that dictates when the fuller phases of the Moon rise reduces the difference between moonrise times from one night to the next.
The average difference is around 50 minutes, whereas the difference over 27, 28 and 29 September is just 13 minutes.
The full Moon on 29 September is also close to perigee, the point in the Moon’s orbit when our natural satellite is at its closest to Earth.
This makes the Moon look slightly larger and brighter than an average full Moon.
Thin crescent Moon
In contrast to the brash, bold appearance of this full Moon, a thin waxing or waning crescent Moon is delicate and can be tricky to see when it’s really thin.
On the morning of 14 September there is a prime example, a 0.6%-lit waning crescent Moon, 6.2º to the left and slightly below Mercury as seen from the UK.
This thinnest of crescents will be extremely difficult to see, rising one hour before the Sun above the eastern horizon.
Constellations and asterisms
When the Moon is absent, September’s stars are superb, especially from a dark sky site.
The Summer Triangle is still very evident and from a dark sky location, the summer Milky Way is visible running southwest through it.
The Milky Way’s core, west of the Teapot asterism in Sagittarius, can also be seen, its visible longevity given a boost by the nights getting longer from one night to the next.
East of Sagittarius is the roughly triangular form of Capricornus, the Sea Goat, an ancient constellation characterised by two pairs of medium bright stars marking the east and west vertices.
Aquarius, the Water Bearer stretches north of Capricornus to the area over towards the east, and despite its large size, is not that well defined apart from a small asterism known as the Water Jar.
A modern take on this pattern describes this as the Steering Wheel. It appears as a central star surrounded by three stars at 120º intervals.
East of the Water Jar lies the Circlet, a ring of faint stars representing the western fish of Pisces, the Fishes.
Planets
Saturn and Neptune are currently in the area too.
Neptune reaches opposition on 20 September but this position, on the opposite side of the sky, makes little difference to the appearance of this dim and distant world.
You’ll need at least binoculars to see Neptune.
One benefit of opposition is that the planet is visible all night long. It’s currently in Pisces, located south and slightly east of the centre of the Circlet.
Saturn is also in Aquarius, south of the Water Jar, visible as a bright, off-white coloured star.
Head south from Saturn and slightly east to arrive at the most southerly first magnitude star visible from the UK, Fomalhaut (Alpha (α) Piscis Austrinus).
This star only gets to an altitude of 7.5º from the centre of the UK when due south, so make sure you don’t have any obstructions in that direction.
September 2023, night-by-night
Our daily guide to what’s visible in the night sky tonight.
Friday 1 September
The Alpha Aurigid meteor shower reaches its peak today.
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
The ‘equation of time’ – the difference between time reported by the artificial ‘mean Sun’ and the apparent Sun – equals zero, meaning sundial shadows report the correct time today!
Monday 4 September
This evening has a 70%-lit waning gibbous Moon located 3.3° northeast of mag. –2.5 Jupiter. Catch the pair rising above the east-northeast horizon from around 22:00 BST (21:00 UT).
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Tuesday 5 September
The waning gibbous Moon sits near Uranus and Jupiter (see page 46), occulting mag. +4.3 Botein (Delta (δ) Arietis) around 04:45 BST (03:45 UT).
How to see it:
- Binoculars: 10×50 recommended
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
This evening the 60%-lit Moon sits near the Pleiades.
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Wednesday 6 September
This morning’s 58%-lit waning gibbous Moon has lunar libration that favours the southern polar region.
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Thursday 7 September
An opportunity to see the clair-obscur effect known as Gruithuisen’s Lunar City occurs this evening, with optimum conditions around midnight BST (23:00 UT).
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Friday 8 September
The Moon has moved sufficiently out of the way for deep-sky observing
Saturday 9 September
Magnitude –4.4 Venus currently sits 0.9° south of the seventh-magnitude open cluster M67 in Cancer.
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Monday 11 September
Early risers will catch a 12%-lit waning crescent Moon 3.3° north of the Beehive Cluster, M44. Magnitude –4.4 Venus sits 9.4° south-southeast of the cluster too.
How to see it:
- Binoculars: 10×50 recommended
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Thursday 14 September
A chance to spot a thin Moon occurs this morning, with a less than 1%-lit waning crescent Moon rising one hour before sunrise. Mag. +1.8 Mercury sits 6.3° to the right of the Moon.
How to see it:
- Binoculars: 10×50 recommended
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Monday 18 September
Visible in the morning sky, Venus is currently at its brightest, shining at around mag. –4.5.
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Wednesday 20 September
Neptune reaches opposition today, when it will be at mag. +7.8, south of the Circlet asterism in Pisces.
How to see it:
- Binoculars: 10×50 recommended
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Friday 22 September
Mercury reaches greatest western elongation. At this time it’ll be separated from the Sun by 17.9° and visible in the morning sky at mag. –0.3.
How to see it:
- Binoculars: 10×50 recommended
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Saturday 23 September
The centre of the Sun crosses the celestial equator at 07:50 BST (06:50 UT), the Sun moving from the northern celestial hemisphere to the southern celestial hemisphere. This instant in time marks the Northern Hemisphere’s autumn equinox.
Sunday 24 September
The 72%-lit waxing gibbous Moon this evening has libration that favours the northern polar region.
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Monday 25 September
Now’s the time to observe crater Vitello on the southern shore of Mare Humorum. The two windows of opportunity to see it at its best occur on 9–10 September and tonight and the next night, 25–26 September.
How to see it:
- Small/medium scope: Reflector/SCT under 6 inches, refractor under 4 inches
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Wednedsay 27 September
This morning at around 02:30 BST (01:30 UT), as it approaches setting, the 91%-lit waxing gibbous Moon will lie 3.6° from mag. +0.5 Saturn.
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
Friday 29 September
The Moon is full at 10:57 BST (09:57 UT), just 32 hours 52 minutes after it reaches perigee, its closest point to Earth. This makes today’s full Moon a perigee full Moon. Being closest to the September equinox, it’s the Harvest Moon for 2023.
How to see it:
- Naked eye: Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to become dark-adapted
- Photo opp: Use a CCD, planetary camera or standard DSLR
This guide originally appeared in the September 2023 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.