STARGAZING TONIGHT

Stargazing in Chicago

United States • 41.878°, -87.630° • Bortle 9 sky

Plan tonight from Chicago →

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Chicago sits at latitude 41.88°, with a sky brightness of Bortle 9. 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 2026-07-21. Open the live planner for tonight's exact schedule.

Tonight's top targets from Chicago

  1. 01 Magic Carpet Nebula (NGC7027)
    Planetary nebula • magnitude 8.5 • 8.0h above 30° • transits at 90°
  2. 02 Foxhead Cluster (NGC6819)
    Open cluster • magnitude 7.3 • 8.0h above 30° • transits at 88°
  3. 03 North America Nebula (NGC7000)
    Emission nebula • magnitude 4.0 • 8.0h above 30° • transits at 88°
  4. 04 Pelican Nebula (IC5070)
    Emission nebula • magnitude 8.0 • 8.0h above 30° • transits at 88°
  5. 05 M29 (M29)
    Open cluster • magnitude 7.1 • 8.0h above 30° • transits at 87°
  6. 06 Crescent Nebula (NGC6888)
    Emission nebula • magnitude 7.4 • 8.0h above 30° • transits at 86°
  7. 07 NGC 6791 (NGC6791)
    Open cluster • magnitude 9.5 • 8.0h above 30° • transits at 86°
  8. 08 M39 (M39)
    Open cluster • magnitude 4.6 • 8.0h above 30° • transits at 83°
  9. 09 Blinking Planetary (NGC6826)
    Planetary nebula • magnitude 9.4 • 8.0h above 30° • transits at 81°
  10. 10 Ring Nebula (M57)
    Planetary nebula • magnitude 9.7 • 8.0h above 30° • transits at 81°

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