Tonight over Kuala Lumpur, 13 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 · KUALA LUMPUR
Dark by8:16 PM
Until7:06 AM
High up now13
Never rise here3
Altitudes computed for Kuala Lumpur (3.1°, 101.7°) during tonight's dark hours.
High in the sky over Kuala Lumpur tonight
88° UPAquilathe Eagle
Lookeastern sky
Anchor starAltair
How to know itBright Altair completes the Summer Triangle with Vega and Deneb, straddling the celestial equator.
72° UPPegasusthe Winged Horse
Looknorthern sky
Anchor starMarkab
How to know itThe "Great Square" of Pegasus is a big, easy autumn signpost high in the eastern sky.
63° UPBoötesthe Herdsman
Looknorthern sky
Anchor starArcturus
How to know itA kite-shaped figure led by Arcturus, the brightest star of the northern spring sky.
59° UPSagittariusthe Archer / the Teapot
Looksouthern 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.
57° 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.
56° UPLyrathe Lyre
Looknorthern 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.
51° UPLeothe Lion
Lookwestern sky
Anchor starRegulus
How to know itA backwards question-mark (the "Sickle") forms the Lion’s head, anchored by bright Regulus.
51° UPCygnusthe Swan / the Northern Cross
Looknorthern sky
Anchor starDeneb
How to know itA great cross of stars flying down the summer Milky Way, with brilliant Deneb at its tail.
45° UPAndromedathe Chained Princess
Looknorth-eastern 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.
37° UPCentaurusthe Centaur
Looksouthern sky
Anchor starAlpha Centauri
How to know itHolds Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to the Sun, and wraps around the Southern Cross.
31° UPUrsa Majorthe Great Bear / the Big Dipper
Looknorthern sky
Anchor starAlioth
How to know itHome to the Big Dipper (the Plough), whose two end stars point to Polaris, the North Star.
27° 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.
26° UPCruxthe Southern Cross
Looksouthern sky
Anchor starAcrux
How to know itThe smallest constellation, but the most famous in the south — its long axis points toward the south celestial pole.
“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 Kuala Lumpur
These clear the horizon but stay low, so trees and buildings may hide them: Perseus (~16°, north-eastern) · Taurus (~4°, eastern) · Carina (~4°, south-western).
Out of reach from Kuala Lumpur
At Kuala Lumpur's latitude these never climb above the horizon, so you can't see them from here at any time of year: Gemini, Canis Major, Orion. To catch them, you'd need to travel toward the Southern Hemisphere.