STARGAZING TONIGHT

Stargazing in Johannesburg

South Africa • -26.204°, 28.047° • Bortle 8 sky

Plan tonight from Johannesburg →

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Johannesburg sits at latitude -26.20°, with a sky brightness of Bortle 8. 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 Johannesburg

  1. 01 M80 (M80)
    Globular cluster • magnitude 7.9 • 7.8h above 30° • transits at 87°
  2. 02 M4 (M4)
    Globular cluster • magnitude 5.9 • 7.8h above 30° • transits at 90°
  3. 03 Blue Horsehead Nebula (IC4592)
    Reflection nebula • magnitude 3.6 • 7.8h above 30° • transits at 83°
  4. Emission nebula • magnitude 99.0 • 7.9h above 30° • transits at 68°
  5. 05 Rho Ophiuchi Nebula (IC4604)
    Reflection nebula • magnitude 4.6 • 7.7h above 30° • transits at 87°
  6. 06 Table of Scorpius (NGC6231)
    Open cluster • magnitude 2.6 • 7.5h above 30° • transits at 74°
  7. 07 Prawn Nebula (IC4628)
    Emission nebula • magnitude 99.0 • 7.5h above 30° • transits at 76°
  8. 08 M62 (M62)
    Globular cluster • magnitude 7.4 • 7.2h above 30° • transits at 86°
  9. 09 NGC 5460 (NGC5460)
    Open cluster • magnitude 5.6 • 7.4h above 30° • transits at 68°
  10. 10 NGC 6171 (NGC6171)
    Globular cluster • magnitude 8.8 • 7.3h above 30° • transits at 77°

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