Stargazing in Cork tonight

Ireland · 51.90°, -8.47°

Stargazing verdict · tonight

Good

Good — worth heading out if skies are clear.

›A last quarter (41% 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 Cork: 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 Cork

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 Cork.

Tonight's sky in Cork

🌗 Moon

Last Quarter

41% lit

🌑 Darkness

20:56–05:48

9h of dark

🌇 Sun

sets 19:04

rises 07:41

🌙 Moon rise/set

up 00:46

down 16:49

Planets visible tonight

♂ Mars

Best early hours · toward the E · 41° up

♃ Jupiter

Best early hours · toward the E · 27° up

♄ Saturn

Best most of the night · toward the S · 40° 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

34% moon

Tue 6 Oct

6 Oct

24% moon

Wed 7 Oct

7 Oct

15% moon

Thu 8 Oct

8 Oct

8% moon

Fri 9 Oct

9 Oct

3% moon

Sat 10 Oct

10 Oct

1% moon

Sun 11 Oct

11 Oct

0% moon

Mon 12 Oct

12 Oct

2% moon

Tue 13 Oct

13 Oct

6% moon

Wed 14 Oct

14 Oct

11% moon

Thu 15 Oct

15 Oct

18% moon

Fri 16 Oct

16 Oct

26% moon

Sat 17 Oct

17 Oct

35% moon

Sun 18 Oct

18 Oct

44% moon

The 12 August 2026 solar eclipse from Cork

From Cork this is a partial eclipse — about 96% of the Sun is covered at maximum, around 19:13 local time. Partial phases begin ~18:14 and end ~20:08.

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

Full 2026 eclipse guide →

Upcoming sky events from Cork

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 Cork →All sky events

Stargazing in Cork — FAQ

Is tonight good for stargazing in Cork?

Good — worth heading out if skies are clear. A last quarter (41% lit) only mildly brightens the sky. Check the live cloud forecast above, which updates through the day.

What planets are visible from Cork tonight?

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

When is the best night to stargaze in Cork soon?

The darkest upcoming night is around Sun 11 Oct, when the Moon is only 0% lit.

Times are local to Cork (Europe/Dublin). 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.