Tonight over San Antonio, 10 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 · SAN ANTONIO
Dark by9:41 PM
Until6:36 AM
High up now10
Never rise here7
Altitudes computed for San Antonio (29.4°, -98.5°) during tonight's dark hours.
High in the sky over San Antonio tonight
82° 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.
77° 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.
71° UPPegasusthe Winged Horse
Looksouth-eastern sky
Anchor starMarkab
How to know itThe "Great Square" of Pegasus is a big, easy autumn signpost high in the eastern sky.
64° UPAquilathe Eagle
Looksouthern sky
Anchor starAltair
How to know itBright Altair completes the Summer Triangle with Vega and Deneb, straddling the celestial equator.
52° 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.
46° 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.
35° UPBoötesthe Herdsman
Lookwestern sky
Anchor starArcturus
How to know itA kite-shaped figure led by Arcturus, the brightest star of the northern spring sky.
32° 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.
25° 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.
22° UPScorpiusthe Scorpion
Looksouth-western sky
Anchor starAntares
How to know itA genuinely scorpion-shaped curve of stars led by red Antares, riding low across the southern summer sky.
“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 San Antonio
These clear the horizon but stay low, so trees and buildings may hide them: Ursa Major (~11°, north-western) · Taurus (~0°, eastern).
Out of reach from San Antonio
At San Antonio's latitude these never climb above the horizon, so you can't see them from here at any time of year: Centaurus, Leo, Orion, Gemini, Crux, Canis Major, Carina. To catch them, you'd need to travel toward the Southern Hemisphere.