Tonight over Madrid, 11 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 · MADRID
Dark by10:47 PM
Until7:07 AM
High up now11
Never rise here5
Altitudes computed for Madrid (40.4°, -3.7°) during tonight's dark hours.
High in the sky over Madrid tonight
87° 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.
86° UPLyrathe Lyre
Looksouth-western 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.
76° UPAndromedathe Chained Princess
Lookeastern 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.
70° UPPegasusthe Winged Horse
Looksouthern sky
Anchor starMarkab
How to know itThe "Great Square" of Pegasus is a big, easy autumn signpost high in the eastern sky.
66° UPCassiopeiathe Queen
Looknorth-eastern 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° UPAquilathe Eagle
Looksouthern sky
Anchor starAltair
How to know itBright Altair completes the Summer Triangle with Vega and Deneb, straddling the celestial equator.
49° 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.
41° UPBoötesthe Herdsman
Lookwestern sky
Anchor starArcturus
How to know itA kite-shaped figure led by Arcturus, the brightest star of the northern spring sky.
24° 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.
22° 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.
22° 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.
“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 Madrid
These clear the horizon but stay low, so trees and buildings may hide them: Scorpius (~14°, south-western) · Gemini (~1°, north-eastern) · Orion (~0°, eastern).
Out of reach from Madrid
At Madrid's latitude these never climb above the horizon, so you can't see them from here at any time of year: Leo, Centaurus, Canis Major, Crux, Carina. To catch them, you'd need to travel toward the Southern Hemisphere.