Stargazing in Chico tonight

United States · 39.73°, -121.84°

Stargazing verdict · tonight

Good

Good — worth heading out if skies are clear.

›A last quarter (36% lit) only mildly brightens the sky.
›About 9 hours of true darkness to work with.

Your sky map — scrub through time

A live map of the sky above Chico: 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 Chico

Sun 4 Oct, 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 Chico.

Tonight's sky in Chico

🌗 Moon

Last Quarter

36% lit

🌑 Darkness

20:14–05:38

9h of dark

🌇 Sun

sets 18:44

rises 07:07

🌙 Moon rise/set

up 01:32

down 15:43

Planets visible tonight

♂ Mars

Best early hours · toward the E · 47° up

♃ Jupiter

Best early hours · toward the E · 32° up

♄ Saturn

Best most of the night · toward the S · 52° 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.

Mon 5 Oct

5 Oct

30% moon

Tue 6 Oct

6 Oct

21% moon

Wed 7 Oct

7 Oct

12% moon

Thu 8 Oct

8 Oct

6% moon

Fri 9 Oct

9 Oct

2% moon

Sat 10 Oct

10 Oct

0% moon

Sun 11 Oct

11 Oct

1% moon

Mon 12 Oct

12 Oct

3% moon

Tue 13 Oct

13 Oct

8% moon

Wed 14 Oct

14 Oct

13% moon

Thu 15 Oct

15 Oct

21% moon

Fri 16 Oct

16 Oct

29% moon

Sat 17 Oct

17 Oct

38% moon

Sun 18 Oct

18 Oct

47% moon

Upcoming sky events from Chico

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.

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.

23 December

December supermoon

The final and closest supermoon of 2026 on 23 December — a full Moon near its closest approach to Earth, appearing slightly larger and noticeably brighter. Lovely to the eye, especially rising near the horizon.

Moon phase for Chico →All sky events

Stargazing in Chico — FAQ

Is tonight good for stargazing in Chico?

Good — worth heading out if skies are clear. A last quarter (36% lit) only mildly brightens the sky. Check the live cloud forecast above, which updates through the day.

What planets are visible from Chico tonight?

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

When is the best night to stargaze in Chico soon?

The darkest upcoming night is around Sat 10 Oct, when the Moon is only 0% lit.

Times are local to Chico (America/Los_Angeles). 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.