Night sky tonight
Sunset and dusk for your city, the Moon tonight, and every naked-eye sky event from now to 31 December 2026, each with its source. Plus how to watch alone, safely.
Moon tonight
Sky events to 31 Dec 2026
Naked-eye events only. Each date comes from the source linked under it. Times are UT (same as GMT); add your time-zone offset. Past events drop off the list.
- 21 Oct – 22 Oct Next
Orionid meteors peak
What to look for Fast, often faint meteors from Halley's Comet debris, about 15 an hour at best. The Moon is about three-quarters full, so only the brighter ones show.
Best time Midnight until dawn, after the Moon sets. Look away from the Moon.
Source: American Meteor Society, Royal Observatory Greenwich, October 2026
- 24 Oct – 25 Oct
Saturn beside the Moon
What to look for The Moon passes very close to Saturn, a steady yellowish point. Neptune is nearby but needs binoculars or a telescope.
Best time From about 21:00 to 03:00, moving from east to west.
- 26 Oct 04:12 UT
Full Moon (Hunter's Moon)
What to look for A bright full Moon in Pisces. Moonlight drowns faint stars, so this is a night for the Moon itself, not the Milky Way.
Best time From moonrise around sunset until dawn on the night of 25 to 26 Oct.
Source: US Naval Observatory, Royal Observatory Greenwich, October 2026
- 4 Nov – 12 Nov
Taurid fireballs
What to look for The Southern Taurids peak on the night of 4 to 5 Nov and the Northern Taurids on 11 to 12 Nov (American Meteor Society). The Southern Taurids are rich in fireballs, and when both showers are active together there is sometimes a notable increase in fireball activity. The Moon is a thin crescent, about 18% lit on 4 to 5 Nov and about 7% on 11 to 12 Nov (at 00:00 UT, our own calculation), so the sky stays dark.
Best time Any clear dark hour after dark; patience beats gear. Allow 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust.
Source: American Meteor Society
- 9 Nov 07:02 UT
New Moon: darkest nights
What to look for No Moon in the sky, so the faintest stars, the Pleiades and (far from city lights) the Milky Way show best.
Best time A couple of hours after dark, away from street lights. The nights either side are almost as dark.
Source: US Naval Observatory
- 16 Nov – 17 Nov
Leonid meteors peak
What to look for Fast meteors that seem to fly out of Leo, often with a bright trail. Expect modest rates; no meteor storm is expected this year. The Moon is about 45% lit (first quarter on 17 Nov, 11:48 UT) and sets in the late evening, so the hours after it are dark.
Best time After midnight, when Leo rises in the east, until dawn. Peak night 16 to 17 Nov (American Meteor Society). Best after the Moon has set, away from city lights; nearby nights are also worth a look.
Source: American Meteor Society
- 20 Nov
Mercury at its best in the morning
What to look for Greatest western elongation: Mercury is as far from the Sun as it gets, a bright star low in the east before sunrise. Never look at the Sun.
Best time In the hour before sunrise, with a clear eastern horizon.
- 24 Nov 14:53 UT
Full Moon (Beaver Moon, supermoon)
What to look for A full Moon near its closest point to Earth. It rises in the north-east at sunset near the Pleiades and the Hyades, with orange Aldebaran beside them. Closest approach to Earth: 25 Nov, 21:02 UT, about 359,300 km.
Best time Moonrise just before sunset, when it looks biggest and orange near the horizon. Exact full: 14:53 UT (US Naval Observatory; our own calculation gives 14:54).
Sources differ on the word supermoon: NASA and Sky at Night count both 24 Nov and 24 Dec 2026; the Royal Observatory Greenwich counts only 24 Dec. The size difference is hard to see by eye either way.
Source: US Naval Observatory, NASA, BBC Sky at Night Magazine
- 9 Dec 00:52 UT
New Moon: darkest nights
What to look for No Moon, and long winter nights: Orion, the Pleiades and the Milky Way at their best, and a dark sky for the Geminids a few nights later.
Best time A couple of hours after dark, away from street lights.
Source: US Naval Observatory
- 13 Dec – 14 Dec
Geminid meteors peak
What to look for Usually the best shower of the year: bright, slow meteors, many with intense colour. This year the Moon is a thin crescent (about 15 to 20% lit) and sets in the evening, so the sky is dark.
Best time From about 22:00, when Gemini is up, through the night; best around 02:00. Peak night 13 to 14 Dec (American Meteor Society). The Moon sets around 20:00 to 23:00 local time in Europe; after that, away from city lights, the sky is dark. Wrap up warm.
Source: American Meteor Society, Royal Observatory Greenwich, 2026 highlights
- 21 Dec 20:50 UT
Winter solstice: the longest night
What to look for The shortest day in the northern hemisphere, under eight hours of daylight in London. Sunsets then start getting later again.
Best time The exact moment is 20:50 UT on 21 Dec. Use your city's sunset time above for the evening.
- 21 Dec – 22 Dec
Ursid meteors peak
What to look for A quiet shower: only 5 to 10 meteors an hour, near the Little Dipper. A bright, nearly full Moon will hide most of them, so treat it as a bonus.
Best time Before dawn on 22 Dec, once the Moon is low, facing north.
Source: American Meteor Society
- 24 Dec 01:28 UT
Full Moon (Cold Moon, supermoon)
What to look for The last full Moon of the year, near its closest point to Earth and high in the sky. It sits west of Orion and forms a triangle with Castor and Pollux.
Best time Moonrise just before sunset on 23 and 24 Dec, then up all night. Exact full: 01:28 UT on 24 Dec.
Sources differ on the word supermoon: NASA and Sky at Night count both 24 Nov and 24 Dec 2026; the Royal Observatory Greenwich counts only 24 Dec. The size difference is hard to see by eye either way.
Source: US Naval Observatory, NASA, Royal Observatory Greenwich, 2026 highlights
Planets this winter
Saturn in the evening sky
What to look for Just past opposition, Saturn is a bright, steady yellowish point in the south. It sets earlier each night and is gone before midnight by January. Rings need a telescope.
Best time Early evening, a few hours after sunset, while it is still high.
Jupiter and Mars after midnight
What to look for Bright Jupiter and Mars are in the eastern sky after midnight. Jupiter is the brighter of the two and is getting earlier and brighter each month.
Best time Look east after midnight in late November; low in the east as midnight approaches in late December.
Source: BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Watching alone, safely
Most sky events are free and take a few hours outside in the cold. A few habits make it easy to do on your own.
- Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back. Send a message when you are home.
- Pick a known place, like a park or viewpoint you have already visited in daylight, ideally with a few other people around. Avoid isolated spots and unlit paths.
- Check the weather and cloud forecast first. Cloud means no show, so keep a plan B for the evening.
- Charge your phone, download the map offline, and carry a torch with a red setting or a red filter so your eyes stay adapted.
- Dress for colder than it looks: layers, hat, gloves, something warm to drink, and a mat or folding chair. Cold is the main risk of a long watch.
- Trust your instincts: if a place or a person feels wrong, leave. Or look for a public astronomy-society or community stargazing night and go with a group.
How it works
- Pick your city to see sunset and dusk tonight.
- Scan the list for the next event and read what to look for and the best time.
- Check the cloud forecast, tell someone your plan and go to a known place.
- Afterwards, find an event in your city to share the evening with others.
Get the Meet & Mint app
Events and people near you on one map. Every event has its own chat, so you can agree where to meet before you arrive, handy for a stargazing night you do not want to do alone. Many of the events on our sites are also in the app.
meetmint.app →Questions
Where do the dates come from?
Moon phases from the US Naval Observatory, supermoons from NASA, meteor showers from the American Meteor Society calendar, and planets, Mercury and the solstice from the Royal Observatory Greenwich. The source is linked under every event. We left out anything we could not confirm.
Do I need a telescope?
No. Everything on this page is visible with the naked eye. Binoculars add detail but are optional.
Are the times in my time zone?
Event times are in UT (same as GMT). Sunset and dusk are shown in your chosen city's local time. Europe's clocks go back on 25 Oct and the US and Canada on 1 Nov.