Orbit

What can I see in the sky tonight over Guernsey?

Worked out for St Peter Port (49.45°N, 2.54°W), with times in local time. Anywhere within roughly 15 km sees almost the same thing, a minute or so earlier or later. The ISS and Tiangong are bright enough to see from a city centre; Starlink trains and Hubble are fainter and need a darker sky away from street lights.

St Peter PortUse your exact location instead

Tonight over Guernsey

Sunset 18:57Dark from 19:29Light again 06:33

Waning gibbous, 98% lit

Best tonight: ISS 19:33. Appears W, climbs to 36° in the SSW, visible 6 min.

No meteor shower peak tonight. Waning gibbous, 98% lit.

The next 7 nights

  1. Tonight · Sun 27 Sept

    98% lit

  2. Tomorrow night · Mon 28 Sept

    93% lit

  3. Tuesday · Tue 29 Sept

    87% lit

  4. Wednesday · Wed 30 Sept

    78% lit

    Nothing bright this night. Next: Tiangong, Saturday 06:21.

  5. Thursday · Thu 1 Oct

    68% lit

    Nothing bright this night. Next: Tiangong, Saturday 06:21.

  6. Friday · Fri 2 Oct

    57% lit

  7. Saturday · Sat 3 Oct

    45% lit

    Nothing bright this night. Nothing else visible this week either: check back after the next launch.

Launches this week

Where is the ISS right now? Live ISS map

Launch sites nearest Guernsey

  • SaxaVord: 1,269 km N. At best a rocket would just clear the horizon.
  • Andøya: 2,420 km NNE. Too far to see.
  • Esrange: 2,430 km NNE. Too far to see.

From a straight-climb model of each site’s usual launch direction, for a night launch in a clear sky. An estimate.

Questions about the sky over Guernsey

When can I next see the ISS from Guernsey?
The next visible pass of the International Space Station over Guernsey is on Sunday 27 September at 19:33 (local time), appearing in the W and climbing to 36°, visible for 6 min. There are 2 more visible passes in the next 7 nights.
Can I see a Starlink train from Guernsey this week?
No Starlink train is expected over Guernsey in the next 7 nights. Trains are only visible for a few days after a launch, before the satellites spread out and climb to their working orbit.
What phase is the Moon tonight in Guernsey?
Waning gibbous, 98% lit. A bright Moon washes out faint satellites and meteors, but the ISS is still easy to see.
Are there any meteor showers visible from Guernsey this week?
No major meteor shower peaks in the next 7 nights. The next peak will appear here once it is within a week.
Can I see Tiangong or Hubble from Guernsey?
Yes: the next is Tiangong on Saturday 3 October at 06:21 (local time), appearing in the SSW and climbing to 13°, visible for 3 min.
Can I see rocket launches from Guernsey?
Rarely, and only low on the horizon. SaxaVord is 1,269 km to the N; a rocket climbing from there would, at best, just clear the N horizon as seen from Guernsey, so you would need a clear, flat view that way. Launches from Florida, French Guiana and California are far below the horizon from here.