Best things to see in the Southern Hemisphere sky tonight

If you're based in the Southern Hemisphere and want to know what you can see in the night sky tonight, this page is for you.

Our monthly-updated night-sky guide will show you what you can see in the Southern Hemisphere over the coming weeks.

We'll include monthly highlights, stars, constellations, planets and deep-sky objects.

More guides

Southern Hemipshere stargazing
Best night-sky targets to see in Australia
Australian astrophotography

The Strawberry Moon captured by Taran Sohal over Byron Bay Lighthouse, New South Wales, Australia, 11 June 2025, 16:41 local time. Equipment: Sony A7 IV camera, Sony 200-600mm f/5.6 lens, Sirui tripod. Exposure: Single exposure at f/11, ISO 320, shutter 1/100. Processing: Adobe Photoshop 2025 — Credit: Taran Sohal

September 2026 highlights

This month, enjoy summer constellations rolling into view and watch the Moon occult the bright red star Antares.

Whether you see a lunar occultation depends greatly on your location.

Because the Moon orbits Earth within a narrow range from the ecliptic, it only occults four first-magnitude stars: Antares, Regulus, Spica and Aldebaran.

Those occultations occur in series. Antares is currently in one: last occulted on 28 June, it vanishes again on 17 September behind the Moon’s dark limb at:

23:59 EST (Melbourne)
23:51 EST (Hobart)
00:00 EST (Canberra)
23:37 CST (Adelaide)

Stars and constellations

At the September equinox, halfway between winter and summer, the western sky still showcases the rich winter Milky Way vista, while in the east the more obscure summer constellations begin to take centre stage.

Bright signposts to help you learn the ‘down under’ summer skies include first-magnitude stars Achernar and Fomalhaut.

In between, the constellation of Grus the Crane is prominent, its curved neck pointing north to Capricornus and south to the Magellanic Clouds.

The planets

Brilliant Venus is hard to miss in the western sky, departing around 21:00. Mercury rises from beneath it in later September to begin an excellent evening apparition.

This innermost world passes first-magnitude Spica, being closest on 26th (1° apart).

Neptune rises during twilight, followed by Saturn an hour later. Both transit in the early morning. Mars rises around 03:00, accompanied by twin stars Castor and Pollux.

Jupiter returns to the morning, arriving at the start of dawn.

Best things to see in the Southern Hemisphere sky, September 2026

More guides

September 2026 highlights

Stars and constellations

The planets

Southern hemisphere star charts