Sky & Launches

What is up tonight from your location, and what is leaving the planet next.

Tonight's Sky

Observing from Bengaluru, IN (12.97°, 77.59°, IST)

Jupiter

Planet

Best at 21:40mag -2.4SE, 42° altitude

Galilean moons resolvable in 10x binoculars.

Saturn

Planet

Best at 23:15mag 0.7E, 30° altitude

Rings near maximum tilt this season.

Mars

Planet

Best at 04:20mag 1.1ENE, low

Pre-dawn target, wait for it to clear haze.

Orion

Constellation

Best at 02:10mag 0.1S, high

M42 is a naked-eye smudge under dark skies.

Andromeda Galaxy (M31)

Deep Sky

Best at 22:50mag 3.4NE, 55° altitude

Use averted vision; spans six full moons.

Ring Nebula (M57)

Deep Sky

Best at 21:05mag 8.8W, 60° altitude

Needs a 4-inch scope or larger to show structure.

ISS visible passes

01:36 AM

6 min · max 68° · WSW → NE

03:06 AM

4 min · max 31° · W → N

11:40 PM

5 min · max 52° · SW → ENE

Next launches

SpaceX

Artemis Support — Lunar Depot 1

Orbital cryogenic propellant depot ahead of the uncrewed lunar cargo landing.

Vehicle: Starship / Super Heavy
Pad: Starbase, Boca Chica
Window: --

Low Earth Orbit → Lunar transfer

Live stream

ISRO

Chandrayaan Relay & Sample Cache

Communications relay plus a technology demonstrator for a later sample return.

Vehicle: LVM3-M6
Pad: Satish Dhawan SHAR, Sriharikota
Window: --

Lunar south pole relay orbit

Live stream

ESA

TBD

PLATO Follow-Up Observatory

Wide-field photometry to confirm terrestrial planets around bright solar analogues.

Vehicle: Ariane 6
Pad: Kourou, French Guiana
Window: --

Sun-Earth L2

Live stream