The sky tonight · Surrey
What's in the night sky over Surrey tonight?
Tuesday, 10 November 2026. Sunset at 4:21 pm, first stars by 5:37 pm. This evening Mars and Jupiter and Saturn are up; the Moon is a waxing crescent, 2% lit.
This evening
Darkness, Moon and planets.
Darkness
Sunset 4:21 pm. The first stars show by 5:37 pm, and the sky is fully dark from 6:15 pm.
The Moon
Waxing crescent, 2% lit, rises 10:02 am, sets 4:17 pm. The Moon stays out of the evening sky: a good night for star clusters, nebulae and the Milky Way.
Planets this evening
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn are up between sunset and 1 am.
Times are for the Guildford area, Surrey, in UK time. Anywhere in Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire or West Sussex they differ by only a few minutes. Worked out at 10:24 pm; reload the page on another day for that evening.
Where to look
Planets between sunset and 1 am.
Mars
Up from 12:21 am until after 1 am; highest in our evening around 12:51 am, 16° above the E horizon.
In the telescope: a small orange disc; when Mars is close to us, dark markings and a polar cap can show.
Jupiter
Up from 12:31 am until after 1 am; highest in our evening around 12:51 am, 13° above the E horizon.
In the telescope: dark cloud belts and four large moons in a line that changes from hour to hour.
Saturn
Up from 5:21 pm until after 1 am; highest in our evening around 9:21 pm, 40° above the S horizon.
In the telescope: the rings, standing clear of the globe, and its largest moon Titan.
Uranustelescope only
Up from 6:11 pm until after 1 am; highest in our evening around 12:51 am, 60° above the S horizon.
In the telescope: a tiny pale blue-green disc, about 2.9 billion km away.
Neptunetelescope only
Up from 5:21 pm until after 1 am; highest in our evening around 8:51 pm, 38° above the S horizon.
In the telescope: a faint blue star-like point at the edge of the solar system.
Not in the evening sky tonight: Mercury, Venus. Before dawn (around 6:12 am): Venus in the ESE, 10° up.
Coming up
Dates worth knowing.
- Tue 17 Nov — First quarter Moon — craters at their best in the evening
- Tue 17 Nov — Leonids meteor shower peak (best after midnight, away from the Moon)
- Tue 24 Nov — Full Moon
- Wed 9 Dec — New Moon — darkest nights of the month around this date
- Mon 14 Dec — Geminids meteor shower peak (best after midnight, away from the Moon)
- Thu 17 Dec — First quarter Moon — craters at their best in the evening
- Tue 22 Dec — Ursids meteor shower peak (best after midnight, away from the Moon)
- Thu 24 Dec — Full Moon
- Sun 3 Jan 2027 — Venus at its greatest distance from the Sun in the morning sky
- Sun 3 Jan 2027 — Quadrantids meteor shower peak (best after midnight, away from the Moon)
- Thu 11 Feb 2027 — Jupiter at opposition — closest and brightest, up all night
- Fri 19 Feb 2027 — Mars at opposition — closest and brightest, up all night
Best nights for the telescope
The planets and the Moon are fine on almost any clear night. Faint things — star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, the Milky Way — need the Moon out of the way: the week around the new Moon is best.
See it for yourself
On our evenings the 12-inch telescope shows the Moon's craters, Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons live. Check the sky map for any date and time, then pick a night on the weather calendar.
Questions people ask
Can I see the planets without a telescope?
Yes — Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars look like bright stars that don't twinkle much. A telescope turns them into worlds: Saturn's rings, Jupiter's belts and moons.
What time does it get dark tonight?
Sunset is at 4:21 pm. By 5:37 pm the brighter stars are out, and from 6:15 pm the sky is as dark as it gets.
Where can I see the stars near Guildford?
Anywhere high and open, away from street lights. Our own dark spots are a short drive from the town: Newlands Corner, Puttenham Common, Thursley and the Devil's Punch Bowl. See stargazing near Guildford.
Plan an evening
or call / text +44 7404 933156 Alex