SKY · IDENTIFY
What's That in the Sky?
See a brilliant “star” that won't twinkle, a reddish point, a light that drifts across the sky, or a fuzzy patch you can't name? Tell us roughly which way you're looking and we'll name the brightest things that way right now — from your exact location. It draws on the same live planet, Moon, satellite and comet data behind the rest of the Sky canvas, so it actually answers, instead of guessing.
Share your location and we'll name the bright objects over your head this minute — or pick the direction you're looking and we'll tell you what's that way.
How we work out what you're seeing
We compute, for your location and this minute, where every bright object sits in the sky — the four naked-eye planets, the Moon, the brightest stars, and any tracked comets — then rank them by brightness in the direction you're facing. We give you a short, honest shortlist (“most likely Jupiter, then Sirius”) rather than pretending there's one certain answer, because two bright objects can sit close together. A few quick tells settle most cases: planets shine with a steady light while stars twinkle; Venus outshines everything else; a point that drifts across the sky over a minute or two is a satellite, not a star.
Identify the sky over your city
132 CITIESEach city page opens straight onto a live read for that location — no need to share your position.