WhenToStargaze

Stargazing in Chelmsford tonight

United Kingdom · 51.74°, 0.47°

Stargazing verdict · tonight

Good

Good — worth heading out if skies are clear.

  • ›A first quarter (38% lit) only mildly brightens the sky.
  • ›About 8 hours of true darkness to work with.

Your sky map — scrub through time

A live map of the sky above Chelmsford: the Moon, planets, bright stars and constellations, exactly where they are. Drag the sliders to move through the night — or forward and back by days — and watch everything shift.

The sky over Chelmsford
Thu 17 Sept, 22:00 · looking up — N at top, E to the left
Day
Time of night22:00

Drag the sliders to travel through time — watch the Moon, planets and constellations rise, set and shift. Positions are computed live for Chelmsford.

Tonight's sky in Chelmsford

🌓 Moon
First Quarter
38% lit
🌑 Darkness
21:04–04:41
8h of dark
🌇 Sun
sets 19:08
rises 06:37
🌙 Moon rise/set
up 14:26
down 21:11

Planets visible tonight

♂ Mars
Best early hours · toward the E · 34° up
♃ Jupiter
Best early hours · toward the E · 15° up
♄ Saturn
Best most of the night · toward the S · 39° up

Best nights to stargaze — next two weeks

Ranked by how dark the sky will be (less Moon = better). Pair with a clear-sky forecast on the night.

Thu 17 Sept
17 Sept
42% moon
Fri 18 Sept
18 Sept
51% moon
Sat 19 Sept
19 Sept
61% moon
Sun 20 Sept
20 Sept
70% moon
Mon 21 Sept
21 Sept
78% moon
Tue 22 Sept
22 Sept
86% moon
Wed 23 Sept
23 Sept
92% moon
Thu 24 Sept
24 Sept
97% moon
Fri 25 Sept
25 Sept
99% moon
Sat 26 Sept
26 Sept
100% moon
Sun 27 Sept
27 Sept
98% moon
Mon 28 Sept
28 Sept
93% moon
Tue 29 Sept
29 Sept
87% moon
Wed 30 Sept
30 Sept
78% moon

The 12 August 2026 solar eclipse from Chelmsford

From Chelmsford this is a partial eclipse — about 91% of the Sun is covered at maximum, around 19:12 local time. Partial phases begin ~18:16 and end ~20:05.

⚠︎ Never look at the partial phase without certified solar-eclipse glasses.

Full 2026 eclipse guide →

Upcoming sky events from Chelmsford

4 October
Saturn at opposition
Saturn reaches opposition on 4 October — directly opposite the Sun, so it rises at sunset, sets at sunrise and is at its biggest and brightest of the year. The best night to catch the rings through even a small telescope.
26 September · lesser-known
Neptune at opposition
The most distant planet reaches opposition on 26 September — its brightest for the year, though still faint. A rewarding challenge target: Neptune shows as a tiny blue-grey disc through a telescope. One for the keen.
14 December
Geminid meteor shower
Widely considered the best shower of the year: slow, bright, often colourful meteors at up to ~150 per hour under dark skies. In 2026 the Moon is only a young crescent at the 13–14 December peak, so conditions are excellent.
21 October · lesser-known
Orionid meteor shower
Fast, faint meteors — debris from Halley's Comet — peaking around 21 October at ~20 per hour. A quieter, connoisseur's shower; moonlight hampers the 2026 peak, so aim for the darkest hours.
17 November · lesser-known
Leonid meteor shower
The Leonids peak around 17 November at ~15 fast meteors an hour. Famous for rare, spectacular storms every ~33 years; 2026 is a normal year, but still a pleasant pre-dawn watch.
Moon phase for Chelmsford →All sky events

Stargazing in Chelmsford — FAQ

Is tonight good for stargazing in Chelmsford?

Good — worth heading out if skies are clear. A first quarter (38% lit) only mildly brightens the sky. Check the live cloud forecast above, which updates through the day.

What planets are visible from Chelmsford tonight?

Tonight you can spot Mars, Jupiter, Saturn above the horizon from Chelmsford, conditions permitting.

When is the best night to stargaze in Chelmsford soon?

The darkest upcoming night is around Thu 17 Sept, when the Moon is only 42% lit.

Times are local to Chelmsford (Europe/London). Astronomical data is computed from established models; the cloud forecast is live from Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day. Always confirm with a live forecast before travelling to a dark-sky site.