Night sky tonight in London
🌙 14 June 2026
🔠Tonight’s Sky in London – June 14–15, 2026
Weather & Seeing Evolution
The night starts with a mixed bag. At 00:00 BST, clouds are at 60%, but the temperature is a mild 15.2°C, wind is light (2.1 m/s), and visibility is excellent (16 km). By 01:00 BST, cloud cover creeps up to 67%, temperature drops slightly to 14.6°C. No precipitation or fog, so occasional clear breaks are possible — but the overall window is limited, especially after 1 AM. The aurora index is quiet (1), no flares expected.
Moon & Planets
The Moon is a waning crescent at just 2% illumination – it set already at 21:26 tonight, so the sky is Moon-free and truly dark after midnight. Perfect for faint deep‑sky objects.
No planets are visible this evening from London – both Jupiter and Saturn set before nautical twilight ends, and Mars is lost in twilight.
Top Messier Targets for Bortle 8 London
Despite the clouds, you can aim for these bright summer classics that peak at reasonable altitudes:
| Object | Type | Mag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) | Spiral Galaxy | 3.4 | Highest in the early morning, but already well up after midnight. A bright core is visible even in light‑polluted skies. |
| M13 (Hercules Cluster) | Globular Cluster | 5.8 | Near zenith – the “Great Hercules Cluster” resolves into stars with modest aperture. |
| M5 (Serpens Cluster) | Globular Cluster | 5.6 | High in the south, excellent contrast against the dark sky. |
| M24 (Sagittarius Star Cloud) | Open Cluster/Star Cloud | 4.6 | A naked‑eye patch of Milky Way in Sagittarius – rich in stars, but low for London (best around 1 AM). |
| M39 (Cygnus Cluster) | Open Cluster | 5.2 | High overhead, loose and bright – easy in binoculars. |
Pro Tip: Start observing right after 00:00 while cloud cover is “only” 60%. Use a UHC or broad‑band light‑pollution filter to enhance contrast on globulars and diffuse objects. Keep sessions short and target objects near the meridian for the sharpest views.
In short: A challenging night with increasing clouds, but the dark, moonless window gives you a fighting chance at some of summer’s finest Messier gems – especially M13 and M31. Plan for a quick session early, and don’t forget to check live cloud radar before setting up. 🌟
Poor conditions, better wait for another night.
Phase and apparent relative size for visible solar objects
| Name | Map | Calculator | Rising | Transit | Setting | Altitude | Magnitude | RA | Dec | Distance | Size | Elongation | Phase |
|---|
List of Messier objects by its transit time
| Messier | Map | Calculator | Type | Constellation | Transit | Altitude | Magnitude | RA | Dec | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M5 | Globular Cluster | Serpens Caput | 2026-06-14 22:45:47 | 40° 37' 32.7" | 5.6 mag | 15h 18m 36.0s | +2° 4' 60.0" | 24.5 kly | ||
| M13 | Globular Cluster | Hercules | 2026-06-15 00:08:40 | 74° 59' 39.1" | 5.8 mag | 16h 41m 42.0s | +36° 28' 0.0" | 22.8 kly | ||
| M24 | Star Cloud | Sagittarius | 2026-06-15 01:45:06 | 20° 9' 4.5" | 4.6 mag | 18h 18m 24.0s | -18° 25' 0.0" | 10.0 kly | ||
| M39 | Open Cluster | Cygnus | 2026-06-15 04:58:22 | 86° 57' 26.3" | 5.2 mag | 21h 32m 12.0s | +48° 25' 60.0" | 825.0 ly | ||
| M31 | Spiral Galaxy | Andromeda | 2026-06-15 08:08:21 | 79° 47' 33.9" | 3.4 mag | 00h 42m 42.0s | +41° 15' 60.0" | 2.9 Mly |
Waning Crescent
Illumination: 2%
No visible ISS passes tonight.