STARGAZING TONIGHT

Stargazing in Cape Town

South Africa • -33.925°, 18.424° • Bortle 7 sky

Plan tonight from Cape Town →

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Cape Town sits at latitude -33.92°, with a sky brightness of Bortle 7. That is urban or inner-suburban skies, so narrowband filters and short subexposures are your friends. Below is a preview of the strongest deep-sky targets above 30° altitude during astronomical night from your location around 2026-05-16. Open the live planner for tonight's exact schedule.

Tonight's top targets from Cape Town

  1. 01 Table of Scorpius (NGC6231)
    Open cluster • magnitude 2.6 • 7.9h above 30° • transits at 82°
  2. Emission nebula • magnitude 99.0 • 8.0h above 30° • transits at 75°
  3. 03 M4 (M4)
    Globular cluster • magnitude 5.9 • 7.9h above 30° • transits at 83°
  4. 04 M80 (M80)
    Globular cluster • magnitude 7.9 • 7.9h above 30° • transits at 79°
  5. 05 Prawn Nebula (IC4628)
    Emission nebula • magnitude 99.0 • 7.8h above 30° • transits at 83°
  6. 06 NGC 5460 (NGC5460)
    Open cluster • magnitude 5.6 • 7.9h above 30° • transits at 76°
  7. 07 Blue Horsehead Nebula (IC4592)
    Reflection nebula • magnitude 3.6 • 7.9h above 30° • transits at 76°
  8. Planetary nebula • magnitude 10.0 • 8.0h above 30° • transits at 58°
  9. 09 Rho Ophiuchi Nebula (IC4604)
    Reflection nebula • magnitude 4.6 • 7.8h above 30° • transits at 79°
  10. 10 Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC6334)
    Emission nebula • magnitude 8.5 • 7.5h above 30° • transits at 88°

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