WhenToStargaze

Stargazing in Indianapolis tonight

United States · 39.77°, -86.16°

Stargazing verdict · tonight

Good

Good — worth heading out if skies are clear.

  • ›A first quarter (49% lit) only mildly brightens the sky.
  • ›About 7 hours of true darkness to work with.

Your sky map — scrub through time

A live map of the sky above Indianapolis: 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 Indianapolis
Wed 19 Aug, 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 Indianapolis.

Tonight's sky in Indianapolis

🌓 Moon
First Quarter
49% lit
🌑 Darkness
22:14–05:22
7h of dark
🌇 Sun
sets 20:35
rises 07:01
🌙 Moon rise/set
up 14:34
down 23:56

Planets visible tonight

♂ Mars
Best early hours · toward the E · 27° up
♄ Saturn
Best early hours · toward the S · 53° 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 20 Aug
20 Aug
51% moon
Fri 21 Aug
21 Aug
61% moon
Sat 22 Aug
22 Aug
70% moon
Sun 23 Aug
23 Aug
78% moon
Mon 24 Aug
24 Aug
85% moon
Tue 25 Aug
25 Aug
92% moon
Wed 26 Aug
26 Aug
96% moon
Thu 27 Aug
27 Aug
99% moon
Fri 28 Aug
28 Aug
100% moon
Sat 29 Aug
29 Aug
99% moon
Sun 30 Aug
30 Aug
95% moon
Mon 31 Aug
31 Aug
90% moon
Tue 1 Sept
1 Sept
82% moon
Wed 2 Sept
2 Sept
73% moon

Upcoming sky events from Indianapolis

28 August
Partial lunar eclipse
A partial lunar eclipse on 28 August, with part of the full Moon dimming and reddening as it enters Earth's shadow. Visible from the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia depending on your local moonrise/moonset.
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.
Moon phase for Indianapolis →All sky events

Stargazing in Indianapolis — FAQ

Is tonight good for stargazing in Indianapolis?

Good — worth heading out if skies are clear. A first quarter (49% lit) only mildly brightens the sky. Check the live cloud forecast above, which updates through the day.

What planets are visible from Indianapolis tonight?

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

When is the best night to stargaze in Indianapolis soon?

The darkest upcoming night is around Thu 20 Aug, when the Moon is only 51% lit.

Times are local to Indianapolis (America/Indiana/Indianapolis). 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.