The stars in tonight’s sky form many familiar patterns that make their host constellations easy to identify. In the northern hemisphere, the stars of the Summer Triangle – Vega, Altair, and Deneb – dominate the evening sky. These are the brightest stars in the constellations Lyra (the Lyre), Aquila (the Eagle), and Cygnus (the Swan).
In the southern hemisphere, the bright Antares in Scorpius, Rigil Kentaurus in Centaurus, Altair in Aquila (the Eagle), Fomalhaut in Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish), and Achernar in Eridanus (the River) appear high above the horizon in the evening.
The stars visible tonight depend on the observer’s location and time of night. The star maps below show the first and second magnitude stars visible in the night sky around 10 pm in the mid-northern, equatorial, and mid-southern latitudes.
Northern hemisphere
Deneb, Vega, and Altair are the brightest stars high overhead in the evening. The three stars form the Summer Triangle, a large asterism that connects the constellations Cygnus, Lyra, and Aquila.
While Vega and Altair appear bright because they lie in the Sun’s neighbourhood, Deneb shines at first magnitude because it is intrinsically luminous. The A-type supergiant has an energy output of about 196,000 Suns and lies 2,615 light-years away. With 19 times the Sun’s mass, the star is a supernova candidate.
Vega and Altair lie only 25.04 and 16.73 light-years away. Both are A-type main sequence stars much hotter and younger than the Sun. Vega is the older of the two, with an estimated age of around 455 million years. Altair is only about 100 million years old.
Both stars are exceptionally fast spinners. As a result of their rapid rotation, they have the shapes of oblate spheroids. Altair has a projected rotational velocity of 242 km/s, while Vega spins at up to 236.2 km/s at the equator.
Stars visible tonight in the northern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Northern sky
Polaris, the North Star, always appears directly above the northern horizon. The yellow supergiant marks the end of the Little Dipper’s handle and the tip of the Little Bear’s tail. In the evening, the Little Dipper appears upside-down, with the handle pointing toward the horizon.
Even though it is one of the best-known stars in the sky, Polaris is not exceptionally bright. Shining at magnitude 1.98, it is on average the 48th brightest star in the sky. It is fainter than the brightest stars in the Big Dipper – Alioth, Dubhe, and Alkaid – and can be found using the larger asterism. It appears close to the imaginary line extended from Merak through Dubhe.
While the Little Dipper contains only two second-magnitude stars – Polaris and Kochab – the Big Dipper has six, making the asterism much easier to spot even from light-polluted areas. In contrast, the middle four stars of the Little Dipper are difficult to make out even in good conditions. Kochab and Pherkad, the outer stars of the Little Dipper’s bowl, however, are relatively bright. They appear roughly parallel to Alkaid and Mizar in the Big Dipper’s handle.
Stars in the northern sky tonight, image: Stellarium
Cassiopeia and Perseus dominate the northeastern sky. The brightest stars of Cassiopeia form a W, an asterism that can be used to find many bright deep sky objects that appear in this region of the sky. Cassiopeia’s W can also be used to find the fainter constellations Cepheus and Camelopardalis (the Giraffe). Alderamin, the brightest star in Cepheus, lies along the line drawn from Schedar through Caph.
The supergiant Mirfak, the luminary of Perseus, is part of the Segment of Perseus, a curving line of stars that stretches from just below Cassiopeia to the northeastern horizon in the evening. Mirfak is the brightest member of the Alpha Persei Cluster, an open cluster visible to the unaided eye on a clear night. The supergiant can be found by extending a line from Gamma Cassiopeiae through the fainter Ruchbah in Cassiopeia’s W.
Eastern sky
The brightest stars of Pegasus stand out in the eastern sky. The K-type supergiant Enif, the constellation’s brightest star, shines at magnitude 2.399 from a distance of 690 light-years. It has a mass 11-12 times that of the Sun and a radius 183 times solar.
The star is believed to have formed in the same stellar nursery as the yellow supergiants Sadalsuud and Sadalmelik, the brightest stars in the neighbouring constellation Aquarius. The three supergiants form an asterism known as the Lightning Bolt with the giant Deneb Algedi, the luminary of Capricornus.
The constellation Pegasus is dominated by a bright, large asterism called the Great Square of Pegasus. The asterism is formed by the Pegasus stars Scheat, Markab and Algenib with Alpheratz in the constellation Andromeda. It represents the main body of the Winged Horse.
Stars in the eastern sky tonight, image: Stellarium
The three brightest stars in Andromeda – Alpheratz, Mirach and Almach – form a chain between Pegasus and the Segment of Perseus. Mirach, the middle star of the chain, can be used to find the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and the Triangulum Galaxy (M33), the most distant deep sky objects visible to the unaided eye.
The bright stars of Andromeda can also be used to find the elongated triangle that gives the constellation Triangulum its name. Formed by Mothallah (Alpha Trianguli) with Beta and Gamma Trianguli, the triangle appears below Almach and Mirach in the evening.
The flat triangle formed by the brightest stars in Aries – Hamal, Sheratan, and Mesarthim – can be spotted very low in the sky, below Triangulum.
The faint asterism outlining the head of the eastern fish of Pisces is found near Mirach, while the head of the western fish lies near Markab in the Great Square of Pegasus. The latter is formed by an asterism called the Circlet of Pisces. The stars of Pisces are quite faint and require clear, dark skies to be seen.
Western sky
The brightest star in the western sky in the evening is Arcturus, the lucida of the constellation Boötes (the Herdsman). The giant star is the brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere and the fourth brightest star in the sky (after Sirius, Canopus, and Alpha Centauri).
Arcturus is the only first-magnitude star above the western horizon in the evening. It appears at the base of the Kite, an asterism visible between the Big Dipper’s handle and the semi-circle of Corona Borealis (the Northern Crown). Alphecca, the brightest star in Corona Borealis, appears high in the western sky. It marks the jewel in the crown.
Izar, the second brightest star in Boötes, is one of the finest double stars in the sky. The two components – an orange giant and a white main sequence star – can be resolved in 3-inch and larger telescopes.
Stars in the western sky tonight, image: Stellarium
Southern sky
The zodiac constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius are prominent in the southern evening sky. The eight brightest stars of Sagittarius form the Teapot, an asterism that appears next to the Milky Way’s bright band. Kaus Australis, the constellation’s brightest star, forms the Archer’s bow with the fainter Kaus Media and Kaus Borealis.
Nunki, the second brightest star in Sagittarius, is part of the Milk Dipper, an asterism formed by the eastern stars of the Teapot (Nunki, Ascella, Kaus Borealis, Phi and Tau Sagittarii).
Antares, the luminary of Scorpius, is the brightest star above the southern horizon around 10 pm. With an apparent magnitude that varies between 0.6 and 1.6, Antares is on average the 15th brightest star in the sky. The red supergiant is part of the Fish Hook, a bright asterism that forms the body, tail and stinger of Scorpius. Shaula, the second brightest star in Scorpius, marks the Scorpion’s stinger with the fainter Lesath.
Stars in the southern sky tonight, image: Stellarium
The stars of Ophiuchus occupy a large portion of the sky between the claws of the Scorpion and Vega in the constellation Lyra. The Serpent Bearer constellation has only two second-magnitude stars, the A-type subgiants Rasalhague and Sabik. Both stars are part of binary systems. They form a large polygon with the fainter Zeta Ophiuchi, Yed Prior, Cebalrai, Marfik, and Kappa Ophiuchi. The star pattern can be used to find several bright Messier globular clusters that appear in this area of the sky.
Equatorial latitudes
For observers in equatorial latitudes, the brightest star high overhead is Altair, the luminary of the constellation Aquila (the Eagle). Altair marks the head or neck in the bird-like pattern of the celestial Eagle.
Altair forms the Summer Triangle with the first-magnitude Vega in the constellation Lyra and Deneb in Cygnus. These stars appear high above the northern horizon.
Several other first-magnitude stars are visible in the evening. Fomalhaut in Piscis Austrinus and Antares in Scorpius appear high in the southeastern and southwestern sky, while Achernar in Eridanus and Rigil Kentaurus in Centaurus are close to the horizon around 10 pm.
The most conspicuous constellation high overhead is Sagittarius. The brightest stars in the Archer constellation form the Teapot, a prominent asterism that lies in the rich field of the Milky Way.
Stars visible tonight in equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Northern sky
Vega and Deneb are the brightest stars above the northern horizon. The luminaries of the constellations Lyra and Cygnus are the fifth and 19th brightest stars in the sky.
Vega appears next to a parallelogram pattern that forms the celestial lyre and can be used to find the bright Ring Nebula (Messier 57).
Deneb sits on top of the Northern Cross, an asterism formed by the brightest stars in Cygnus. The prominent star pattern can be used to find many bright nebulae and open clusters that appear in this area, including the North America Nebula (NGC 7000), Pelican Nebula (IC 5070), Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888), Tulip Nebula (Sh2-101), Veil Nebula (Caldwell 33 and 34), and the open cluster Messier 29.
Stars in the northern sky tonight in equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
A line extended through the beam of the Northern Cross leads to Eltanin and Rastaban, the stars that mark the eyes of the celestial Dragon. Eltanin and Rastaban form the Head of Draco with the fainter Grumium and Kuma.
The bright stars of Cassiopeia’s W appear low in the northeastern sky. Depending on the location and geography, the asterism may not be fully visible around 10 pm. A line extended through Cassiopeia’s brightest stars, Schedar and Caph, leads to Alderamin, the lucida of the constellation Cepheus.
Eastern sky
The stars of three large but relatively faint constellations – Pisces, Aquarius, and Cetus – appear above the eastern horizon. Other than the second-magnitude Diphda, the luminary of Cetus (the Sea Monster), these stars do not really stand out in the sky. Diphda marks the tail of the Sea Monster and can be found by extending a line from the eastern side of the Great Square of Pegasus.
Formed by three bright stars in Pegasus (Scheat, Markab and Algenib) with Alpheratz in the neighbouring Andromeda, the Great Square is one of the most familiar features of the late summer and early autumn sky. The supergiant Enif, the brightest star in Pegasus, is not part of the asterism. It appears west of it, in the same region as Sadalsuud and Sadalmelik, the brightest stars of Aquarius.
Stars in the eastern sky tonight in equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
The stars of Pisces can be found using the Great Square of Pegasus and the bright stars of Andromeda in the northeastern sky. The head of the eastern fish appears near Mirach in Andromeda, while the head of the slightly brighter western fish, outlined by an asterism known as the Circlet of Pisces, appears near Markab in the Great Square.
Fomalhaut, the brightest star in Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish) and the 18th brightest star in the sky, is the only first-magnitude star above the southeastern horizon. It marks the mouth of the Southern Fish. The stars representing the water poured by Aquarius in the direction of Fomalhaut may be spotted in exceptionally good conditions.
Western sky
The bright stars of Scorpius dominate the southwestern sky. Antares, the 15th brightest star in the sky, marks the Scorpion’s heart. The red supergiant is part of the Fish Hook, an asterism that forms the Scorpion’s body, tail and stinger. Shaula and Lesath, the stars that mark the stinger, appear high in the southwest.
The fainter Lupus (the Wolf) appears below Scorpius in the evening. The constellation’s brightest star, the luminous blue giant Uridim (Alpha Lupi), is close to the southwestern horizon around 10 pm.
The stars of Libra appear as the extended claws of the Scorpion. The constellation’s luminaries Zubeneschamali and Zubenelgenubi shine at magnitudes 2.61 and 2.741, just below second magnitude.
Stars in the western sky tonight in equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
The stars of Ophiuchus (the Serpent Bearer) are more conspicuous in the sky. The constellation’s brightest stars form a large polygon that appears high above the western horizon in the evening. Rasalhague, the brightest star in Ophiuchus, marks the Serpent Bearer’s head. It is the brightest star in the region between Antares in Scorpius and Lyra in Vega.
The stars are the base of the polygon – Sabik, Zeta Ophiuchi, Yed Prior and Yed Posterior – point in the direction of Unukalhai, the brightest star in Serpens. The orange giant has a visual magnitude of 2.623 and appears in the Serpent’s neck.
Three faint but distinctive asterisms appear in the northwestern sky. The Kite of Boötes has partly set by 10 pm. The giant Arcturus, which appears at the base of the Kite, is invisible from most locations.
The stars of Corona Borealis (the Northern Crown) appear above the Kite. Representing the crown of Ariadne, the stars form a semi-circle that is easy to make out even from areas with some light pollution. Alphecca, the constellation’s brightest star, marks the jewel in the crown. The star was traditionally also known as Gemma.
The Keystone, formed by four relatively bright stars in Hercules, appears above the Northern Crown. The asterism represents the torso of Hercules. Even though Hercules is the fifth largest constellation in the sky, its brightest stars shine at third magnitude and are not particularly conspicuous. The stars of the Keystone – Pi, Eta, Zeta, and Epsilon Herculis – can be used to find the bright globular clusters Messier 13 and Messier 92.
Southern sky
The brightest stars in the southern sky around 10 pm are Peacock, Alnair and Atria. These are the brightest stars in the constellations Pavo (the Peacock), Grus (the Crane), and Triangulum Australe (the Southern Triangle). These second-magnitude stars are the brightest points of light between the first-magnitude Fomalhaut, which appears high in the southeastern sky, and Rigil Kentaurus, which sits just above the southwestern horizon in the evening.
The constellations Pavo and Grus and the nearby Phoenix and Tucana (the Toucan) are known as the Southern Birds. Ankaa, the brightest star in Phoenix, appears between Fomalhaut and the southeastern horizon around 10 pm, while the fainter stars of Tucana appear below Alnair and Tiaki, the luminaries of Grus.
Stars in the southern sky tonight in equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Achernar, the brightest star in Eridanus (the River), appears low above the southeastern horizon. With an apparent magnitude that varies between 0.40 and 0.46, it is the ninth brightest star in the sky. The fast-spinning hot blue star marks the end of the celestial River, whose other end appears near Rigel in Orion, in an entirely different part of the sky.
Atria, the lucida of Triangulum Australe, is easy to identify because it forms a conspicuous triangle with Beta and Gamma Trianguli Australis. The triangle appears near the Southern Pointers, Rigil Kentaurus and Hadar in the constellation Centaurus.
Southern hemisphere
The brightest stars high above the horizon in the evening are Antares in the constellation Scorpius (the Scorpion), Altair in Aquila, Fomalhaut in Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish), Achernar in Eridanus (the River), and Rigil Kentaurus and Hadar in Centaurus.
Deneb in Cygnus, Vega in Lyra, and Spica in Virgo are close to the horizon, while the bright stars of the Southern Cross appear higher in the sky above the southwestern horizon.
The bright stars of Sagittarius are almost directly overhead around 10 pm. They form the Teapot asterism, which is easily visible even from locations with some light pollution.
The distinctive constellation figure of Scorpius appears next to the Teapot. The Scorpion’s claws are high in the southwestern sky, while the Fish Hook is close to the zenith in the evening. The Fish Hook asterism is formed by Antares with about a dozen other bright stars in Scorpius. It outlines the heart, body, tail and stinger of the Scorpion.
Stars visible tonight in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Northern sky
The brightest stars in the northern sky are Altair, Vega, and Deneb. The lucidae of the constellations Aquila, Lyra, and Cygnus form a large triangle that dominates the evening sky. Vega and Altair, the fifth and 12th brightest stars in the sky, shine at first magnitude because they lie in the solar neighbourhood, only 25.04 and 16.73 light-years away.
Deneb, however, appears so bright because it is intrinsically luminous. The blue-white supergiant lies 2,615 light-years away and has an energy output around 196,000 times that of the Sun. It marks the tail of the celestial Swan and the top of the Northern Cross, an asterism that appears upside down from the southern hemisphere.
Altair is flanked by two relatively bright stars, Tarazed and Alshain. The three stars form an asterism known as the Shaft of Aquila (or Family of Aquila). Altair can be used to find the faint but distinctive constellations Sagitta (the Arrow) and Delphinus (the Dolphin), which lie in the area between the star and the Swan’s wing marked by Aljanah.
Stars in the northern sky tonight in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Vega outlines the celestial lyre with four fainter stars that form a parallelogram pattern. The parallelogram can be used to find the Ring Nebula (Messier 57), one of the brightest planetary nebulae in the sky.
Hercules and Ophiuchus, the fifth and 11th largest constellations in the sky, appear in the southwestern sky. Four relatively bright stars in Hercules form the Keystone asterism, which represents the torso of Hercules. However, the constellation does not contain any stars brighter than third magnitude.
Ophiuchus appears above the Keystone in the evening. The constellation’s brightest stars, including the second magnitude Rasalhague and Sabik, form a large polygon that outlines the body of the Serpent Bearer. Rasalhague, the brightest star in Ophiuchus, marks the Serpent Bearer’s head. The white subgiant appears on the line extended from the brighter Vega in Lyra to Antares in Scorpius.
Eastern sky
The brightest star in the eastern sky in the evening is Fomalhaut, the luminary of the constellation Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish). Fomalhaut is the only first-magnitude star in this area, and it appears relatively isolated.
The second-magnitude Diphda, the brightest star in Cetus (the Sea Monster), appears directly below Fomalhaut. Traditionally known as Deneb Kaitos (“the tail of the Sea Monster”), the giant star marks the tail of Cetus.
Alnair and Tiaki, the brightest stars in the constellation Grus (the Crane), appear southwest of Fomalhaut, while Ankaa, the lucida of Phoenix, appears south of the star.
Stars in the eastern sky tonight in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Achernar, the ninth brightest star in the sky, appears high in the southeastern sky. The hot B-type star marks the end of the celestial River (Eridanus).
The stars of Pegasus dominate the northeastern sky. The Great Square of Pegasus, formed by Scheat, Markab and Algenib in the constellation Pegasus with Alpheratz in the neighbouring Andromeda, does not fully rise by 10 pm, but the three Pegasus stars that form it may be visible depending on the location.
The orange supergiant Enif, the brightest star in Pegasus, appears higher in the sky, roughly halfway between Markab in the Great Square and Altair in Aquila. Enif shines at magnitude 2.4 from an approximate distance of 690 light-years. It marks the nose of the celestial Winged Horse.
Enif can be used to find the luminaries of the fainter constellations Capricornus and Aquarius. It forms an asterism called the Lightning Bolt with Sadalsuud and Sadalmelik in Aquarius and Deneb Algedi in Capricornus.
Markab serves as a guide to the Circlet of Pisces, an asterism that forms the head of the western fish of Pisces. The faint circle of stars is visible between Markab and Diphda on a clear night.
Western sky
The brightest stars in the western sky are Antares and Spica. The luminaries of the zodiac constellations Scorpius and Virgo are the 15th and 16th brightest stars in the sky. Antares appears high in the sky, while Spica has almost set by 10 pm.
The stars that form the Scorpion’s claws appear below Antares. Dschubba, the brightest star of the claws, is a hot blue subgiant star with a blue B-type main sequence companion. The fainter stars of Libra appear as the extended claws of the Scorpion.
The stars of Ophiuchus form a large polygon that appears high in the northwestern sky, while the brighter stars of Centaurus and Crux dominate the southwestern sky.
Stars in the western sky tonight in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Rigil Kentaurus and Hadar (Alpha and Beta Centauri), the brightest stars of Centaurus, are the third and 11th brightest stars in the sky. They are called the Southern Pointers because they point toward the Southern Cross, an asterism commonly used to find true south.
Rigil Kentaurus is a Sun-like star that appears so bright because it is part of the nearest star system to the Sun. Proxima Centauri, the faintest component of the Alpha Centauri system, is the nearest individual star to the Sun. The red dwarf lies only 4.2465 light-years away and is invisible to the unaided eye.
Hadar shines at first magnitude because it is a hot B-type giant star with a luminosity 31,600 times that of the Sun. Like Rigil Kentaurus, it is part of a triple star system. It lies 361 light-years away. With a mass 12.02 times that of the Sun, the star is a supernova candidate.
Menkent, the constellation’s third brightest star, marks the Centaur’s shoulder. The orange giant lies on the imaginary line extended from Acrux through Mimosa, the brightest stars of the Southern Cross.
The stars of Lupus (the Wolf) appear between the Southern Pointers and the Scorpion’s claws. The constellation’s brightest star, the hot blue giant Alpha Lupi, appears roughly halfway between Rigil Kentaurus and Menkent.
Southern sky
The brightest stars in the southern sky belong to the constellations Carina (the Keel) and Vela (the Sails). Miaplacidus and Avior, Carina’s second and third brightest stars, form conspicuous diamond-shaped asterisms known as the Diamond Cross and the False Cross.
Miaplacidus forms the Diamond Cross with Theta, Upsilon and Omega Carinae, while Avior forms the brighter False Cross with Aspidiske in Carina and Alsephina and Markeb in Vela.
The two asterisms are sometimes mistaken for the Southern Cross, an asterism that can be used to find Polaris Australis (the South Star) and the southern celestial pole.
The Southern Cross is the smallest and brightest of the three diamond-shaped asterisms in the far southern sky. It is formed by Acrux, Mimosa, Gacrux, Imai, and Ginan. Acrux and Mimosa (Alpha and Beta Crucis) are first-magnitude stars, while Gacrux shines at second magnitude.
Stars in the southern sky tonight in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Polaris Australis lies roughly halfway between Hadar in the constellation Centaurus and Achernar in Eridanus. Alternatively, the pole star can be found by extending a line from Gacrux through Acrux and another line perpendicular to the line connecting Alpha and Beta Centauri. The point where these two lines meet marks the approximate location of the south celestial pole.
The Southern Cross appears high in the southwestern sky. It is easily distinguished from the False Cross and the Diamond Cross because the Southern Pointers point towards it. The asterism can be used to find many well-known deep sky objects that appear in this area of the sky, including the Coalsack Nebula, the Jewel Box Cluster (NGC 4755), and the fainter open clusters NGC 4852 and NGC 4609.