Night Sky Tonight: What to See This Week

~2 min
Topics:Skywatching
Night Sky Tonight: What to See This Week
©Vito Technology

Looking for what to see in the sky this week? This guide highlights the upcoming astronomical events. Scroll down for sky maps and viewing tips, and use the Sky Tonight app to check when and where each object will appear in your sky.

Contents

Sky Events Tonight: August 13

  • Moon tonight: Waxing crescent Moon.
  • Planets visible tonight: Evening — Venus. Morning — Mercury, Jupiter (very low above the horizon), Saturn, Mars, Uranus, Neptune. Details: Planets Visible Tonight
  • Constellations visible tonight: Northern Hemisphere — Sagittarius, Lyra, Scutum. Southern Hemisphere — Sagittarius, Telescopium, Scutum, Corona Australis. Details: Constellations in August 2026

Upcoming Astronomical Events: August 13-19, 2026

DateEventBest timeEquipment
August 15Venus at greatest elongationSoon after sunsetNaked eye; optional telescope
August 16Venus near the MoonSoon after sunsetNaked eye; optional binoculars
August 17Moon near SpicaAfter sunsetNaked eye; optional binoculars
August 17Kappa Cygnids meteor shower peakAfter darkNaked eye

Below, you’ll find sky events arranged by date, with quick viewing tips to help you choose the best nights for stargazing. All dates are listed in GMT, so the exact calendar date may differ in your local time zone; however, the times shown on the sky maps are given in local time.

August 15: Venus at greatest elongation

Night Sky Tonight: Venus at greatest elongation on August 15
Venus will reach its greatest eastern elongation, marking the point when it appears most widely separated from the Sun in the evening sky. However, this does not mean it will be high above the horizon everywhere: the view will be best from the Southern Hemisphere, while observers farther north will find Venus lower in the west. Look for an extremely bright white point soon after sunset from a place with a clear western horizon. No equipment is needed, though a telescope can show Venus as a tiny, roughly half-lit disk.
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August 15-16: Venus near the Moon

Night Sky Tonight: Venus near the Moon on August 16
Venus will appear close to a thin crescent Moon, making a beautiful pair above the western horizon. Look soon after sunset, before they move too low. Both objects are visible to the naked eye, while binoculars may also reveal earthshine — a faint glow across the unlit part of the Moon’s visible disk.
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August 16-17: Moon near Spica; Kappa Cygnids meteor shower peak

Night Sky Tonight: Spica near the Moon on August 17
The Moon will pass close to Spica, the brightest star in Virgo. Look for a blue-white star near the Moon after sunset. The pairing is easy to see without equipment, but binoculars can help if the Moon’s light makes Spica harder to notice.
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Night Sky Tonight: Kappa Cygnids on August 17
The Kappa Cygnids will also reach their peak that night, producing only a few meteors per hour. They are not worth a separate observing trip, but if you are already out under dark skies after the Moon has set, watch for slow, bright meteors that seem to come from the direction of Cygnus.
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Night Sky Tonight: Bottom Line

There is almost always something worth seeing in the night sky. Use this guide to choose the best events for tonight and the coming days, but remember that visibility depends on your location, local time, weather, and light pollution. For the most accurate view, check the exact position of each object in the Sky Tonight app before you go outside.

Want to plan beyond the dates listed here? Check the full monthly calendar of astronomical events in August 2026.

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Topics:Skywatching
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