Tonight over Hong Kong, 12 of the bright, easy-to-spot constellations climb high into a dark sky. Here's what's up, how high, and which way to face.
DARK-SKY WINDOW TONIGHT · HONG KONG
Dark by8:02 PM
Until5:57 AM
High up now12
Never rise here3
Altitudes computed for Hong Kong (22.3°, 114.2°) during tonight's dark hours.
High in the sky over Hong Kong tonight
74° UPAndromedathe Chained Princess
Looknorthern sky
Anchor starAlpheratz
How to know itHome to the Andromeda Galaxy — the most distant thing visible to the naked eye, a faint smudge on a dark night.
74° UPPegasusthe Winged Horse
Lookwestern sky
Anchor starMarkab
How to know itThe "Great Square" of Pegasus is a big, easy autumn signpost high in the eastern sky.
66° UPBoötesthe Herdsman
Looknorth-western sky
Anchor starArcturus
How to know itA kite-shaped figure led by Arcturus, the brightest star of the northern spring sky.
52° UPCassiopeiathe Queen
Looknorthern sky
Anchor starSchedar
How to know itA bright "W" or "M" of five stars, circling the north pole opposite the Big Dipper — useful for finding north.
52° UPLyrathe Lyre
Looknorth-eastern sky
Anchor starVega
How to know itSmall but led by Vega, one of the brightest stars in the sky and a corner of the Summer Triangle.
50° UPPerseusthe Hero
Looknorth-eastern sky
Anchor starMirfak
How to know itA rich slice of the Milky Way and the radiant of the August Perseid meteor shower.
39° UPCygnusthe Swan / the Northern Cross
Looknorth-western sky
Anchor starDeneb
How to know itA great cross of stars flying down the summer Milky Way, with brilliant Deneb at its tail.
38° UPScorpiusthe Scorpion
Looksouthern sky
Anchor starAntares
How to know itA genuinely scorpion-shaped curve of stars led by red Antares, riding low across the southern summer sky.
36° UPTaurusthe Bull
Lookeastern sky
Anchor starAldebaran
How to know itMarked by orange Aldebaran and the tiny, sparkling Pleiades star cluster on the Bull’s shoulder.
34° UPAquilathe Eagle
Lookeastern sky
Anchor starAltair
How to know itBright Altair completes the Summer Triangle with Vega and Deneb, straddling the celestial equator.
25° UPUrsa Majorthe Great Bear / the Big Dipper
Looknorth-western sky
Anchor starAlioth
How to know itHome to the Big Dipper (the Plough), whose two end stars point to Polaris, the North Star.
25° UPSagittariusthe Archer / the Teapot
Looksouth-eastern sky
Anchor starKaus Australis
How to know itIts bright stars form a "Teapot" — and it points straight at the dense, glowing centre of the Milky Way.
“Up” is the highest the centre of each pattern gets above the horizon tonight — your fist at arm's length spans about 10°. Directions are where to face when it's best placed.
Low on the horizon from Hong Kong
These clear the horizon but stay low, so trees and buildings may hide them: Orion (~15°, eastern) · Leo (~12°, western) · Centaurus (~8°, south-western) · Gemini (~5°, north-eastern).
Out of reach from Hong Kong
At Hong Kong's latitude these never climb above the horizon, so you can't see them from here at any time of year: Crux, Canis Major, Carina. To catch them, you'd need to travel toward the Southern Hemisphere.