WhenToStargaze

Stargazing in South Boston tonight

United States · 42.33°, -71.05°

Stargazing verdict · tonight

Fair

Fair — stars visible, but not the best conditions.

  • ›A bright waxing gibbous (78% lit) will wash out fainter stars.
  • ›About 7 hours of true darkness to work with.

Your sky map — scrub through time

A live map of the sky above South Boston: 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 South Boston
Sun 23 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 South Boston.

Tonight's sky in South Boston

🌔 Moon
Waxing Gibbous
78% lit
🌑 Darkness
21:15–04:18
7h of dark
🌇 Sun
sets 19:32
rises 06:01
🌙 Moon rise/set
up 17:19
down 02:00

Planets visible tonight

♂ Mars
Best early hours · toward the E · 28° up
♄ Saturn
Best early hours · toward the S · 49° 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 24 Aug
24 Aug
85% moon
Tue 25 Aug
25 Aug
91% 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
96% moon
Mon 31 Aug
31 Aug
90% moon
Tue 1 Sept
1 Sept
83% moon
Wed 2 Sept
2 Sept
73% moon
Thu 3 Sept
3 Sept
63% moon
Fri 4 Sept
4 Sept
52% moon
Sat 5 Sept
5 Sept
40% moon
Sun 6 Sept
6 Sept
29% moon

The 12 August 2026 solar eclipse from South Boston

From South Boston this is a partial eclipse — about 16% of the Sun is covered at maximum, around 13:54 local time. Partial phases begin ~13:01 and end ~14:45.

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

Full 2026 eclipse guide →

Upcoming sky events from South Boston

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 South Boston →All sky events

Stargazing in South Boston — FAQ

Is tonight good for stargazing in South Boston?

Fair — stars visible, but not the best conditions. A bright waxing gibbous (78% lit) will wash out fainter stars. Check the live cloud forecast above, which updates through the day.

What planets are visible from South Boston tonight?

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

When is the best night to stargaze in South Boston soon?

The darkest upcoming night is around Sun 6 Sept, when the Moon is only 29% lit.

Times are local to South Boston (America/New_York). 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.