Horizon Hour

Night sky tonight in Québec, Quebec

Thursday, October 29, 2026 · local time (America/Toronto)

Astronomical dusk7:16 PM
Astronomical dawn5:42 AM
Moon🌖 84%Waning Gibbous
Moonrise · set7:50 PM · 12:01 PM

Fully dark from 7:16 PM to 5:42 AM.

Planets visible tonight

Mars12:14 AM – 6:53 AMeastbright (mag 0.9)
Jupiter12:52 AM – 6:53 AMeastvery bright (mag -2)
Saturn6:05 PM – 4:57 AMeastbright (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 Québec: 78.7 nW/cm²/sr, brighter than 60% of the cities we cover.

Nearest dark area: about 46 km northeast of the city centre, about 41 km from Beauport (47.092°, -70.775°). The ground there gives off almost no artificial light, and nor do its surroundings, so the night sky is far darker than in Québec.

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 304:34 AM1 min18°east → east
Fri, Oct 306:07 AM5 min62°west → southeast
Sat, Oct 315:22 AM3 min65°southeast → southeast
Sun, Nov 15:10 AM3 min26°southwest → south
Mon, Nov 24:24 AM2 min28°south → southeast

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
LeonidsTue, Nov 17, 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
QuadrantidsSun, Jan 3, 202780Dec 28 – Jan 12Dark moon (12%): good conditions
LyridsThu, Apr 22, 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 Québec