The stars in tonight’s sky form many familiar patterns that make their host constellations easy to identify. For observers in the northern hemisphere, the stars of Cassiopeia, Pegasus and Cygnus dominate the evening sky. They form three bright and prominent asterisms: Cassiopeia’s W, the Great Square of Pegasus, and the Northern Cross.
Observers in the southern hemisphere can catch almost twice as many first-magnitude stars around 10 pm, including Canopus and Rigil Kentaurus, the second and third brightest stars in the sky. These are the brightest stars of the constellations Carina and Centaurus.
The stars visible tonight depend on the observer’s location and the 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 southern latitudes.
Northern hemisphere
The most prominent constellations that appear high overhead for observers in the northern hemisphere in the evening are Pegasus, Cassiopeia, and Andromeda. Linked by the myth of Perseus, these constellations are prominent in the evening sky from late summer throughout early autumn.
Cassiopeia’s five brightest stars – Schedar, Caph, Gamma Cassiopeiae, Ruchbah, and Segin – form Cassiopeia’s W, one of the most recognizable asterisms in the northern celestial hemisphere. The stars of the W can be used to find the luminaries of the neighbouring constellations Cepheus and Perseus. A line extended from Schedar through Caph points to Alderamin, the brightest star in Cepheus, and one drawn from Gamma Cassiopeiae through Ruchbah leads to the supergiant Mirfak, the lucida of Perseus.
Mirfak extends the chain of three bright stars of Andromeda – Alpheratz, Mirach, and Almach – that begins at the Great Square of Pegasus. The Great Square is formed by Alpheratz with the Pegasus stars Scheat, Markab and Algenib. It forms the main body of the mythical Winged Horse.
The supergiant Deneb forms the Northern Cross with several other bright stars of Cygnus (the Swan). It forms the pole of the cross with Sadr and the fainter Albireo, while Aljanah and Fawaris outline the crossbeam with Sadr.
Deneb is also part of the Summer Triangle, which keeps setting earlier in the west as the autumn season progresses. Vega and Altair in the constellations Lyra (the Lyre) and Aquila (the Eagle) mark the other two vertices of the summer asterism.
Stars visible tonight in the northern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Northern sky
The stars of the two bear constellations – Ursa Major (the Great Bear) and Ursa Minor (the Little Bear) – dominate the northern sky around 10 pm. The Big Dipper, formed by seven bright stars in Ursa Major, sits on the horizon in the evening. A line drawn from Megrez through Dubhe points in the direction of the hexagon of Auriga (the Charioteer). Megrez, the only third magnitude star in the Big Dipper, appears at the base of the Great Bear’s tail.
Merak and Dubhe, the outer stars of the Big Dipper’s bowl, can be used to find Polaris, the closest visible star to the north celestial pole. A line drawn from Merak through Dubhe points towards the North Star.
Polaris marks the end of the Little Dipper’s handle. The Little Dipper is visible in good conditions, but its middle four stars are usually too faint to be made out. Only Polaris and the outer stars of the bowl – Kochab and Pherkad – are visible from light-polluted areas. Kochab and Pherkad, the Guardians of Pole, appear parallel to Mizar and Alioth in the Big Dipper’s handle.
The fainter stars of Draco’s tail appear in the region between the Big and Little Dippers. The Dragon’s head is easily found using the stars of the Northern Cross. A line drawn through the crossbeam leads to Eltanin and Rastaban, the Dragon’s eyes. The stars appear in the same area as Vega in the constellation Lyra, the fifth brightest star in the sky.
Stars in the northern sky tonight, image: Stellarium
Eastern sky
The brightest star above the eastern horizon in the evening is Aldebaran, the luminary of the constellation Taurus (the Bull) and the 14th brightest star in the sky. The giant star marks one of the Bull’s eyes and appears in the same line of sight as the V-shaped Hyades cluster, which represents the Bull’s head.
The Pleiades, the bright open cluster that marks the Bull’s shoulder, appears above Aldebaran and the Hyades. Aldebaran and both bright stars clusters lie on the imaginary line extended from the three stars of Orion’s Belt, which rise in the east a little later in the evening.
The bright Elnath at the Bull’s northern horn is part of Auriga’s hexagon, a conspicuous asterism formed by Capella, the sixth brightest star in the sky, and several other bright stars of Auriga (the Charioteer). Tianguan, the fainter star that marks the Bull’s southern horn, can be used to find the Crab Nebula (M1), the best-known supernova remnant in the sky.
Stars in the eastern sky tonight, image: Stellarium
Western sky
Vega, Altair and Deneb – the stars of the Summer Triangle – appear high in the western sky around 10 pm. The stars are very easy to identify because they are part of the conspicuous constellation figures of the celestial Lyre, Eagle, and Swan.
Altair marks the eagle’s head or neck and is flanked by two other relatively bright stars, Tarazed and Alshain. The three stars form an asterism known as the Family of Aquila (or the Shaft of Aquila).
Vega appears next to a small parallelogram that forms the constellation figure of Lyra, and Deneb marks the top of the Northern Cross and the tail of the Swan. The fainter Albireo, one of the finest double stars in the sky, marks the Swan’s beak.
Rasalhague, the brightest star in Ophiuchus (the Serpent Bearer), appears almost directly west in the evening. The star appears in the same region as the Keystone, a relatively bright asterism that represents the torso of Hercules. It is part of a large polygon that has partly set by 10 pm.
Stars in the western sky tonight, image: Stellarium
Southern sky
The brightest star above the southern horizon is Fomalhaut, the luminary of Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish). Fomalhaut is the 18th brightest star in the sky. It marks the mouth of the Southern Fish, into which Aquarius (the Water Bearer) is pouring water.
The stars of Aquarius are mostly faint. They appear in the area between Fomalhaut and the Great Square of Pegasus. The supergiants Sadalsuud and Sadalmelik, the brightest stars in Aquarius, are third magnitude stars. The form a pattern known as the Lightning Bolt with Enif in Pegasus and Deneb Algedi in Capricornus.
Fomalhaut can be found by extending a line through the western side of the Great Square of Pegasus, from Scheat through Markab, across the sky.
A line drawn through the eastern side of the Great Square, from Alpheratz through the fainter Algenib, leads to Diphda (Beta Ceti), the brightest star in Cetus (the Sea Monster). Diphda appears in the southeastern sky, in the tail of Cetus. Its traditional name, Deneb Kaitos, refers to its place in the constellation.
Stars in the southern sky tonight, image: Stellarium
Equatorial latitudes
The brightest star appearing high overhead for observers near the equator in the evening is Fomalhaut, the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish). The fast-spinning oblate star is the only first-magnitude star in this region of the sky.
The bright stars of the Great Square of Pegasus dominate the sky overhead around 10 pm. The asterism is formed by Alpheratz in the constellation Andromeda with Algenib, Scheat and Markab in Pegasus. Algenib, the faintest of the four stars, shines at third magnitude.
The relatively faint stars of the zodiac constellations Capricornus and Aquarius appear in the region between the Great Square, the constellation Aquila (the Eagle), and Piscis Austrinus.
Diphda, the brightest star in Cetus (the Sea Monster) is the only other second magnitude star close to the zenith in the evening. It is part of the Sea Monster’s tail. Like Fomalhaut, it can be found using the stars of the Great Square.
Stars visible tonight in equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Northern sky
The stars of Cassiopeia’s W dominate the northern sky in the evening. The W appears like a prominent M in the sky when seen from equatorial and southern locations.
A line extended from Cassiopeia’s brightest stars – from Schedar through Caph – points towards Alderamin, the brightest star in Cepheus. Alderamin appears at the base of a star pattern that looks like a stick house.
Errai, the star at the top of the “roof” appears almost exactly north. It is one of the relatively bright stars that serve as the North Star over the course of Earth’s 25,771.5-year precession cycle, along with Alderamin, Alfirk, Vega, Deneb, Fawaris, Thuban and the current North Star, Polaris in Ursa Minor, among others.
The supergiant Deneb, the luminary of Cygnus (the Swan), is the brightest star in the northwestern sky and Capella in Auriga (the Charioteer) stands out above the northeastern horizon. Deneb and Capella are the 19th and sixth brightest stars in the sky.
Stars in the northern sky tonight in equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Eastern sky
The bright stars of Orion and Taurus rise in the east around 10 pm. The red giant Aldebaran and blue supergiant Rigel are the brightest stars above the eastern horizon. They are the 14th and seventh brightest stars in the sky. Capella and the rest of Auriga’s hexagon rise in the northeastern sky. Elnath, the second brightest star in Taurus, is part of the hexagon. The massive blue giant was once part of both Auriga and Taurus but now belongs exclusively to Taurus. It marks the Bull’s northern horn.
Aldebaran appears along the imaginary line extended from the stars of Orion’s Belt. The second-magnitude Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka rise just before 10 pm. The three Belt stars and Rigel are part of the recognizable hourglass figure of Orion, also formed by the red supergiant Betelgeuse, blue supergiant Saiph, and luminous blue star Bellatrix. Betelgeuse at the Hunter’s other shoulder rises around 10 pm and may or may not be visible, depending on the location and geography.
Stars in the eastern sky tonight in equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Western sky
The brightest star in the western sky is Altair, the luminary of the constellation Aquila (the Eagle). Altair is the 12th brightest star in the sky. It is part of the bird-like figure of the celestial Eagle, which flies opposite the Swan (Cygnus) in the night sky.
The bright stars of Cygnus form the Northern Cross, an asterism that dominates the northwestern sky. The supergiant Deneb at the Swan’s tail forms a large triangle with the brighter Altair and Vega in the small constellation Lyra. Vega is the brightest star above the northwestern horizon in the evening.
The stars of Sagittarius are prominent in the southwestern sky. The constellation’s eight brightest stars form the Teapot, a conspicuous pattern that appears next to the rich field of the Milky Way. Kaus Australis and Nunki, the brightest stars in Sagittarius, shine at second magnitude. The Teapot stars can be used to find many of the Archer’s bright star clusters and nebulae, including the Trifid Nebula (Messier 20), the Omega Nebula (Messier 17), and the Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8).
Stars in the western sky tonight in equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Southern sky
The brightest star in the southern sky is Achernar, the lucida of the constellation Eridanus (the River). The celestial River stretches from Rigel in Orion all the way into the far southern sky. Achernar, the ninth brightest star in the sky, marks its end.
Fomalhaut in Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish), the 18th brightest star, appears high above the horizon around 10 pm. It is the only conspicuous star in the constellation.
Achernar and Fomalhaut can be used to find the second-magnitude Ankaa in the constellation Phoenix and Alnair and Tiaki in Grus (the Crane).
Phoenix, Grus, Tucana (the Toucan), and Pavo (the Peacock) are known as the Southern Birds. Peacock, the brightest star in Pavo, appears west of Achernar, and the fainter Alpha Tucanae in Tucana, formally named Lang-Exster, appears roughly halfway between Peacock and Achernar.
Stars in the southern sky tonight in equatorial latitudes, image: Stellarium
Southern hemisphere
The brightest stars appearing high overhead around 10 pm are Fomalhaut in the constellation Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish), Alnair in Grus (the Crane), and Peacock in Pavo (the Peacock).
Achernar in Eridanus (the River), the ninth brightest star in the sky, also appears high in the sky in the evening. Achernar and Fomalhaut can be used to find the brightest stars of the Southern Birds constellations Grus and Phoenix.
Ankaa and Peacock, the luminaries of Phoenix and Pavo, take their names from their host constellations. The name Ankaa is derived from the Arabic word for “phoenix,” and Peacock is the English name of the constellation Pavo.
Stars visible tonight in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Northern sky
The bright stars of the constellations Pegasus, Andromeda and Cygnus (the Swan) stand out in the northern sky in the evening.
Sadr and Aljanah, two second magnitude stars in Cygnus, appear in the northwest. They are part of the Northern Cross, an asterism that has mostly set by 10 pm.
Enif, the brightest star in Pegasus, appears high above the northern horizon. The supergiant star lies in the region between Altair in Aquila and Markab at the southwestern vertex of the Great Square of Pegasus.
Alpheratz, Scheat, Markab and Algenib form the Great Square, a large star pattern that appears high above the northern and northeastern horizon. Scheat, Markab and Algenib belong to the constellation Pegasus (the Winged Horse) and Alpheratz belongs to Andromeda (the Princess).
Alpheratz, Mirach and Almach form a chain that makes the constellation Andromeda recognizable. Almach is still below the horizon around 10 pm, but Alpheratz and Mirach are visible by 10 pm.
Stars in the northern sky tonight in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Eastern sky
There are no exceptionally bright stars in the eastern sky in the evening. Hamal, the brightest star in the zodiac constellation Aries, appears low in the northeastern sky.
The faint stars that form the head of Cetus (the Sea Monster) appear in the same area. Even though it is one of the largest constellations in the sky, Cetus contains a single second-magnitude star, the giant Diphda. The K-type giant is part of the Sea Monster’s tail and appears high above the eastern horizon.
Similarly, the constellation Eridanus (the River) hosts a single first-magnitude star, Achernar. The long but faint constellation occupies much of the eastern sky around 10 pm. Its northernmost end appears near Rigel in Orion and rises later in the evening.
Stars in the eastern sky tonight in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Western sky
The stars of Sagittarius (the Archer) and Scorpius (the Scorpion) stand out in the western sky in the evening. The red supergiant Antares, the brightest star in Scorpius and the 15th brightest star in the sky, sets in the west later in the evening.
The supergiant star is part of a bright asterism known as the Fish Hook. It connects the Fish Hook with the Scorpion’s claws. Dschubba, the middle star of the claws, is one of the several second-magnitude stars in the constellation. Shaula, the Scorpion’s second brightest star, marks the stinger with the fainter Lesath.
The Teapot of Sagittarius appears high above the horizon around 10 pm. Kaus Australis, the brightest star in the constellation, forms the Archer’s bow with the fainter Kaus Media and Kaus Borealis.
Altair, the 12th brightest star in the sky, and the bird-like pattern of Aquila (the Eagle) are prominent in the northwestern sky, and the stars of Lupus (the Wolf) can be spotted lower in the southwestern sky. The hot blue supernova candidate Alpha Lupi (formally named Uridim) is the only second magnitude star in the constellation.
The polygon of Ophiuchus has partly set by 10 pm, but the bright Sabik, one of the stars that form the base of the polygon, appears near Antares in the sky.
Stars in the western sky tonight in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium
Southern sky
Several first-magnitude stars stand out in the southern sky around 10 pm. Canopus, the second brightest star in the sky, appears in the southeast. The massive bright giant star lies 310 light-years away and is a supernova candidate. It is the brightest star in the constellation Carina (the Keel).
Rigil Kentaurus and Hadar (Alpha and Beta Centauri) appear in the southwestern sky. They are the third and 11th brightest stars in the sky. Unlike Canopus, which is intrinsically luminous, the two brighter components of Alpha Centauri (Rigil Kentaurus and Toliman) are Sun-like stars that appear so bright because they are part of the closest star system to the Sun. They appear as a single point of light to the unaided eye. Proxima Centauri, the faintest component of the Alpha Centauri system, is invisible to the unaided eye and does not appear in the same line of sight as Rigil Kentaurus and Toliman. It is the nearest individual star to Earth and hosts the nearest planetary system.
Like Canopus, Hadar (Beta Centauri) is one of the brightest stars in Earth’s sky because it is massive and intrinsically luminous. The hot blue giant lies 390 light-years away and is part of a triple star system. Two components in the system are massive enough to be supernova candidates.
Alpha and Beta Centauri are called the Southern Pointers. The two bright stars point in the direction of Gacrux, the star at the top of the Southern Cross. Gacrux forms the Southern Cross with the brighter Acrux and Mimosa, the 13th and 20th brightest stars in the sky, and the fainter Imai and Ginan.
Acrux and Mimosa are both massive, luminous stars that will end their lives as supernovae. Both stars are part of multiple star systems.
The stars of the Southern Cross are commonly used to find the south celestial pole. A line through the long axis of the asterism points in the direction of the pole, which lies roughly halfway between Hadar in Centaurus and Achernar in Eridanus.
The False Cross, an asterism often mistaken for the Southern Cross, appears lower above the southern horizon around 10 pm. It is formed by Avior and Aspidiske in Carina with Alsephina and Markeb in the neighbouring Vela.
The fainter Diamond Cross, formed by Miaplacidus with Theta, Upsilon and Omega Carinae, appears a bit higher in the sky, in the region between the other two cross asterisms.
Stars in the southern sky tonight in the southern hemisphere, image: Stellarium