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Saturday, 27 December 2025 | Default Location
Showing the sky from Greenwich, London. Log in to use your own location.
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Tonight at a Glance

First Quarter 50%
Dark window: 17:18 – 06:41 (13 h 22 m)

Bright moon tonight — best deep-sky viewing after moonset (00:29)

Planet Highlights

Jupiter mag -2.7 · 35° alt · Gemini Details
GRS transit tonight:
Saturn mag 0.9 · 18° alt · Aquarius Details
Rings: Edge-on (rings nearly invisible) (1.0° north face)

Comets

PANSTARRS mag 6.6 · 28° alt · Pegasus Details
bright 2.18 AU Perihelion: Apr 19 (in 19d)

For Beginners (naked eye)

Hyades
Open Cluster
mag 0.5

At 21:00 look high in the southeast

Taurus
M42
Great Orion Nebula Nebula
mag 4.0

At 21:00 look halfway up in the southeast

Orion
M31
Andromeda Galaxy Galaxy
mag 3.4

At 21:00 look high in the west

Andromeda

Binocular Targets

Mira
68 Cet Variable Star
mag 3.0

At 21:00 look halfway up in the south

Cet
M34
Spiral Cluster Open Cluster
mag 5.5

At 21:00 look near the zenith

Perseus
M81
Bode's Galaxy Galaxy
mag 6.9

At 21:00 look halfway up in the northeast

Ursa Major

Small Scopes (3–6 inch)

Castor
HIP 36850; Alpha Gem; 66 Gem Double Star
mag 2.0

At 21:00 look halfway up in the east

Gem
M38
Starfish Cluster Open Cluster
mag 7.4

At 21:00 look high in the southeast

Auriga
NGC 246
Planetary Nebula
mag 8.0

At 21:00 look low in the southwest

Cet
M101
Pinwheel Galaxy Galaxy
mag 7.9

At 21:00 look low in the north

Ursa Major
32 Eri
Double Star
mag 4.8

At 21:00 look halfway up in the south

Eri

Big Scopes (8–12 inch)

NGC 1496
Open Cluster
mag 10.0

At 21:00 look near the zenith

Per
M76
Little Dumbbell Nebula Planetary Nebula
mag 10.1

At 21:00 look near the zenith

Perseus
C5
IC 342 Galaxy
mag 9.2

At 21:00 look near the zenith

Camelopardalis
M77
Cetus A or Squid Galaxy Galaxy
mag 8.9

At 21:00 look halfway up in the south

Cetus
C23
NGC 891 Galaxy
mag 9.9

At 21:00 look near the zenith

Andromeda

The Week Ahead

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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Apollo 17's Moonship

Awkward and angular looking, Apollo 17's lunar module Challenger was designed for flight in the near vacuum of space. Digitally enhanced and reprocessed, this picture taken from Apollo 17's command module America shows Challenger's ascent stage in lunar orbit. Small reaction control thrusters are at the sides of the moonship with the bell of the ascent rocket engine underneath. The hatch that allowed access to the lunar surface is seen at the front, with a round radar antenna at the top. Mission commander Gene Cernan is clearly visible through the triangular window. This spaceship performed gracefully, landing on the Moon and returning the Apollo astronauts to the orbiting command module in December of 1972. So where is Challenger now? While its descent stage remains at the Apollo 17 landing site in the Taurus-Littrow valley, the ascent stage pictured was intentionally crashed nearby after being jettisoned from the command module prior to the astronauts' return to planet Earth.

APOD is a service of NASA and Michigan Tech. U.

View on NASA APOD

Space News

Sendoff for Artemis II Crew

NASA announces the Artemis II crew consisting of astronauts Andre Douglas, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Canadian astronauts Jenni Gibbons and Jeremy Hansen, marking the first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years.

NASA — 30 Mar 2026

NASA Selects Intuitive Machines to Deliver Artemis Science, Tech to Moon

NASA awards Intuitive Machines $180.4 million to deliver science payloads and technology to the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, supporting the Artemis program.

NASA — 27 Mar 2026

NASA Names Scientists to Support Lunar South Pole Science

NASA selects 10 participating scientists to develop the science plan for Artemis astronauts on the lunar surface, including instrument deployment, observations, and sample collection at the lunar south pole.

NASA — 27 Mar 2026

NASA Releases Artemis II Moon Mission Launch Countdown

NASA releases the launch countdown for Artemis II, targeting no earlier than April 1, 2026, for the crewed mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth.

NASA — 26 Mar 2026

Plan your session before dark

Use Tonight to find targets, then add them to a Plan so you have a checklist ready when you're outside.

Open Tonight

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