Sky Conditions
Sky Conditions & Observing Sites
Tonight's astronomical forecast for the Phoenix area, plus where PAS members go for dark skies and what's worth looking at once you're there.
Tonight's Forecast
Moon Tonight
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Meteor Showers
- Quadrantids (Boötes)Peaks January 3
- Lyrids (Lyra)Peaks April 22
- Perseids (Perseus)Peaks August 12
- Orionids (Orion)Peaks October 21
- Leonids (Leo)Peaks November 17
- Geminids (Gemini)Peaks December 14
If the forecast below doesn't load, open it directly on Astrospheric.
Tonight's Sky Chart
An interactive planetarium centered on Phoenix — pan, zoom, and see what's up right now.
If the chart below doesn't load, open it directly on VirtualSky.
Viewing With Telescopes
Suggested targets by aperture and season, from in-town Phoenix skies (Bortle 6–8) out to dark-sky sites like the Antennas area (Bortle 2). Pick your aperture to see its targets.
5" Refractor
- Anytime
- The Moon and the five naked-eye planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter (and its moons), and Saturn (and its moons)
- Fall
- NGC 7009 Saturn Nebula, outskirts of the Valley (Bortle 4–5)
- Winter
- NGC 7662 Blue Snowball Nebula; NGC 2169 "37" star cluster, outskirts of the Valley (Bortle 4–5)
- Spring
- Stargate asterism (two nested triangles), outskirts of the Valley (Bortle 4–5); NGC 3242 Ghost of Jupiter Nebula, dark sky like the Antennas area (Bortle 2)
- Summer
- Deep red carbon star 1 Lyrae; Collinder 399 Coat Hanger asterism, outskirts of the Valley (Bortle 4–5)
6" Dobsonian Reflector
- Fall
- Double Cluster in Perseus; Andromeda Galaxy M31, outskirts of the Valley (Bortle 4–5)
- Winter
- Pleiades Open Cluster M45; Orion Nebula M42, in Phoenix (Bortle 6–8)
- Spring
- Beehive Open Cluster M44; Hercules Globular Cluster M13 (Bortle 4–5)
- Summer
- Ptolemy's Open Cluster M7 in Scorpius (Bortle 4–5); Lagoon Nebula M8, dark sky (Bortle 2)
8" Newtonian Reflector
- Fall
- Gamma Andromedae blue-and-gold double star, in Phoenix (Bortle 6–8)
- Winter
- Orion Nebula M42, outskirts of the Valley (Bortle 4–5)
- Spring
- M81 and M82 galaxies, dark sky like the Antennas location (Bortle 2)
- Summer
- M13 Globular Cluster, outskirts of the Valley (Bortle 4–5)
9¼" Schmidt-Cassegrain
- Fall
- Albireo and Gamma Andromedae blue-and-gold double stars, in Phoenix (Bortle 6–8); Stephan's Quintet of galaxies (Hickson 92 / NGC 7317, 7318a, 7318b, 7319, 7320), dark sky area (Bortle 2)
- Winter
- Orion and Running Man Nebulae M42 & M43, in Phoenix (Bortle 6–8); M35 Open Cluster, in Phoenix (Bortle 6–8)
- Spring
- Omega Centauri Globular Cluster, southern outskirts of Phoenix (Bortle 4–5); M35 Open Cluster, in Phoenix (Bortle 6–8)
- Summer
- Swan Nebula M17 (use an OIII filter) and Lagoon Nebula M8, if south of the Valley (Bortle 4–5)
14" Dobsonian Reflector
- Fall
- Perseus Double Cluster, in Phoenix (Bortle 6–8); M37 Open Cluster, outskirts of the Valley (Bortle 4–5); M17 & M20 Nebulae and Open Clusters NGC 7789 and M11 Wild Duck, dark sky area like the Antennas (Bortle 2)
- Winter
- Orion Nebula M42, in Phoenix (Bortle 6–8); Andromeda Galaxy M31, outskirts of the Valley (Bortle 4–5); Open Clusters M41 and M50, dark area (Bortle 2)
- Spring
- M81 and M82 galaxies, outskirts of the Valley (Bortle 4–5); M51 Whirlpool Galaxy, M5 & M13 globular clusters, and Virgo region galaxies (M86 and surrounding area), all in a dark area (Bortle 2)
- Summer
- M57 Ring Nebula, outskirts of the Valley (Bortle 4–5); NGC 6826 Blinking Planetary Nebula, Helix Nebula NGC 7293, Veil Nebula Caldwell 33/34, Sculptor Galaxy NGC 253, M27 Dumbbell Nebula, dark area (Bortle 2)
Viewable With Binoculars
- Fall
- Andromeda Galaxy M31; Milky Way Galaxy; M15 Globular Cluster in Pegasus; Perseus Double Open Star Clusters
- Winter
- Pleiades Open Star Cluster M45 in Taurus; Orion Nebula M42; Open Star Cluster M35 in Gemini; M36, M37, and M38 open star clusters in Auriga; Betelgeuse in Orion (red-orange star); Rigel in Orion (blue-white star); Aldebaran in Taurus (red giant star)
- Spring
- Beehive Open Star Cluster M44 in Cancer; M50 Open Star Cluster in Monoceros; M41 Open Star Cluster in Canis Major; Mizar double star in Ursa Major
- Summer
- Lagoon Nebula M8 and Trifid Nebula M20 in Sagittarius; Hercules Globular Cluster M13; M25 Open Cluster and M22 Globular Cluster in Sagittarius; Delta Lyrae (red/blue double star); Epsilon Lyrae (wide components of the "double double" star); "False Albireo" (Alpha and 8 Vulpeculae double star); Omicron 1 and 2 (blue/orange double star); 31 Cygni (wide triple star); Deneb in Cygnus (blue-white star); the Summer Triangle (Deneb in Cygnus, Vega in Lyra, Altair in Aquila); Collinder 399 "Coat Hanger" asterism in Vulpecula
Dark-Sky Observing Sites
Sites are rated on the Bortle scale, from 1 (darkest) to 9 (brightest inner-city skies).
Want to explore more dark-sky locations beyond this list? Check out the light pollution map on darkskysites.com.
- Bortle 1.018 miles south of Jacob Lake, 22 miles north of the North Rim of the Grand CanyonMap →
- Bortle 1.5Kaibab Lodge, 18 miles north of the North Rim of the Grand CanyonMap →
- Bortle 1.5Wupatki / Doney Mountain Lunch & View Area, about 45 minutes north of Flagstaff off Route 89Map →
- Bortle 1.5Southwestern Research Station, Portal, AZMap →
- Bortle 1.9Moran Point, South Rim of the Grand CanyonMap →
- Bortle 2.0Pinewood Trailhead, eastern limits of Munds Park, about 20 miles south of FlagstaffMap →
- Bortle 2.0Hovatter Rd. Antennas site, about 100 miles west of Central PhoenixMap →
- Bortle 2.0Tonto National MonumentMap →
- Bortle 2.6Arcosanti, about 60 miles north of PhoenixMap →
- Bortle 3.4Pickett Post trailhead, about 60 miles SE of Phoenix off Highway 60Map →
- Bortle 3.9Four Peaks cookout area, 18 miles north of Fort McDowell on the Beeline Highway turnoff (~33.678, -111.502)Map →
- Bortle 4.0Apache Wash Trailhead, North Phoenix
- Bortle 4.0Buffalo Park, North Flagstaff
- Bortle 4.1Needle Rock Recreation Area near Rio Verde (~33.768, -111.670)Map →
- Bortle 4.2Town of Tusayan, 5 miles south of the Grand Canyon
- Bortle 4.3Cow Track Ranch, Carefree
- Bortle 4.3Spur Cross Ranch Park, Cave CreekMap →
- Bortle 4.3New River
- Bortle 4.3Robbins Butte, east of Buckeye, about 40 miles SW of Phoenix
- Bortle 4.6McDowell Mountain ParkMap →
- Bortle 5.0Paradise Valley Community College, Black Mountain Campus, North Valley
- Bortle 5.7South Mountain Park, Phoenix
Want to see where the planets and spacecraft actually are right now? ExploreNASA's Eyes on the Solar System ↗.