Horizon Hour

Night sky tonight in Wuppertal, Germany

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

Astronomical dusk19:03
Astronomical dawn5:28
Moon🌖 85%Waning Gibbous
Moonrise · set18:54 · 12:01

Fully dark from 19:03 to 5:28.

Planets visible tonight

Mars23:46 – 6:46northeastbright (mag 0.9)
Jupiter0:28 – 6:46eastvery bright (mag -2)
Saturn17:45 – 4:46eastbright (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

Moderate artificial light in central Wuppertal: 14.3 nW/cm²/sr, brighter than 1% of the cities we cover.

Nearest dark area: about 84 km east of the city centre, about 8 km from Schmallenberg (51.208°, 8.358°). The ground there gives off almost no artificial light, and nor do its surroundings, so the night sky is far darker than in Wuppertal.

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 304:562 min35°southeast → southeast
Fri, Oct 306:294 min20°west → south
Sat, Oct 315:433 min28°southwest → southeast
Sun, Nov 14:581 min22°southeast → southeast
Mon, Nov 25:451 min13°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 Wuppertal