Horizon Hour

Night sky tonight in Málaga, Spain

Thursday, October 29, 2026 · local time (Europe/Madrid)

Astronomical dusk19:51
Astronomical dawn6:12
Moon🌖 85%Waning Gibbous
Moonrise · set20:57 · 11:35

Fully dark from 19:51 to 6:12.

Planets visible tonight

Mars1:11 – 7:13eastbright (mag 0.9)
Jupiter1:44 – 7:13eastvery bright (mag -2)
Saturn18:51 – 5:29eastbright (mag 0.4)

Times run from dusk (or when the planet rises) until it sets or dawn breaks. Direction is where to look when it first appears.

Light pollution

Very high artificial light in central Málaga: 78.7 nW/cm²/sr, brighter than 60% of the cities we cover.

Nearest dark area: about 122 km northeast of the city centre, about 12 km from Guadix (37.192°, -3.175°). The ground there gives off almost no artificial light, and nor do its surroundings, so the night sky is far darker than in Málaga.

Measured from space: NASA Black Marble VNP46A4 2025 annual composite (snow-free), NASA. This is light emitted upward from the ground at night, not a direct reading of sky brightness. A “dark area” here means a spot below 0.3 nW/cm²/sr whose surroundings, out to about 41 km, average below 0.5.

International Space Station passes

DateAppearsVisible forMax heightDirection
Fri, Oct 306:294 min20°north → east
Sat, Oct 315:432 min14°north → northeast
Sun, Nov 16:315 min47°northwest → east
Mon, Nov 25:453 min29°northeast → east
Tue, Nov 36:335 min49°west → southeast
Wed, Nov 45:482 min43°southeast → southeast
Thu, Nov 56:362 min15°southwest → south

Visible passes at least 10° above the horizon, from today’s orbital elements (CelesTrak). Max height 90° is straight overhead. The station looks like a bright, steady, fast-moving star; times can shift by a minute or two as its orbit is adjusted.

Upcoming meteor showers

ShowerPeakRate/hr*ActiveConditions here
Southern TauridsThu, Nov 5, 20267Sep 20 – Nov 20Dark moon (12%): good conditions
Northern TauridsThu, Nov 12, 20265Oct 20 – Dec 10Dark moon (11%): good conditions
LeonidsWed, Nov 18, 202615Nov 6 – Nov 30Moon 55% lit
GeminidsMon, Dec 14, 2026150Dec 4 – Dec 20Dark moon (25%): good conditions
UrsidsTue, Dec 22, 202610Dec 17 – Dec 26Bright moon (98%) washes out faint meteors
QuadrantidsMon, Jan 4, 202780Dec 28 – Jan 12Dark moon (12%): good conditions
LyridsFri, Apr 23, 202718Apr 14 – Apr 30Bright moon (95%) washes out faint meteors
Eta AquariidsThu, May 6, 202750Apr 19 – May 28Dark moon (0%): good conditions

*Zenithal hourly rate: meteors per hour under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead; expect fewer. Peak dates and rates from the International Meteor Organization working list.

Eclipses visible from Málaga