Which constellations can you see from Tucson tonight?
Stars and constellations over Tucson tonight: October–December 2026
| Month | High overhead | Rising in the east | Setting in the west |
|---|---|---|---|
| mid-October · 9:00 pm | Pegasus, Cygnus, Andromeda, Pisces, Cepheus and Cassiopeia | Aries, Perseus and Cetus | Corona Borealis, Sagittarius and Hercules |
| mid-November · 9:00 pm | Andromeda, Pisces, Pegasus, Cassiopeia, Aries and Perseus | Taurus, Auriga, Eridanus and Orion | Aquila, Piscis Austrinus and Lyra |
| mid-December · 9:00 pm | Aries, Andromeda, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Pisces and Taurus | Orion, Gemini and Canis Minor | Aquarius and Cygnus |
From Tucson on mid-October evenings (around 9:00 pm), look straight up for Pegasus, Cygnus, Andromeda, Pisces, Cepheus and Cassiopeia. Rising in the east: Aries, Perseus and Cetus. Sinking in the west: Corona Borealis, Sagittarius and Hercules. Ursa Minor, Cepheus and Draco never set from Tucson. Bright stars to start from: Vega, Altair and Fomalhaut. By mid-December, Orion, Gemini and Canis Minor join the evening sky.
Always above the horizon from Tucson: Ursa Minor, Cepheus and Draco. Use the live chart below for tonight's exact view.
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Use the free local tool
This page provides a result prefilled with the place and coordinates. The calculations and phone gyroscope work without an order; the HD poster remains optional. See tonight's constellations over Tucson
Overhead, rising and never-setting constellations for October–December 2026, with a live chart for tonight
The table lists the constellations over Tucson for each month of October–December 2026; the live chart then shows tonight's sky for the city or your exact location, with the Moon and planets. Both are free.
Why choose Starry Memory
- Computed for the city's sky — The lists are calculated for Tucson's latitude and local evening time, month by month, not copied from a generic seasonal chart.
- Overhead, rising and setting — Knowing where a constellation stands helps you find it: overhead ones are the easiest, rising ones climb through the evening, setting ones are best early.
- Never-setting groups — The circumpolar constellations of Tucson are listed: they are there on any clear night of the year.
- Live chart for tonight — The chart below recomputes the constellations, the Moon and the planets for tonight and for your exact location.
From Tucson, latitude decides how high each familiar pattern can climb above an ideal horizon.
Latitude-screened constellations for Tucson
Each entry below gives an approximate maximum altitude at meridian transit and a practical season; an asterisk means circumpolar in this simplified centroid model: Cassiopeia: 62.2°, all year *; Draco: 57.2°, all year *; Cepheus: 52.2°, all year *; Ursa Minor: 45.2°, all year *; Boötes: 87.8°, spring; Lyra: 86.2°, summer; Andromeda: 84.2°, autumn; Cygnus: 82.2°, summer; Auriga: 80.2°, winter; Gemini: 79.8°, winter; Perseus: 77.2°, winter; Taurus: 75.8°, winter; Leo: 72.8°, spring; Ursa Major: 66.2°, spring. This is a planning guide, not a promise that every star will be visible from a bright street. Date, hour, local obstructions and light pollution still matter. The live sky tool performs the date-specific projection that a static latitude table cannot.
Tucson's verifiable local record
22174 · longitude -110.92648 · north hemisphere · timezone America/Phoenix · celestial-pole altitude 32.2°. Seasonal signature: longest night in December, 14 h 06 · shortest night in June, 9 h 54 · range 4.20 hours. Meridian star markers: Cassiopeia 62.2° * · Draco 57.2° * · Cepheus 52.2° * · Ursa Minor 45.2° * · Boötes 87.8° · Lyra 86.2°. Nearby catalogue cities: Mesa 158 km · Phoenix 173 km · El Paso 422 km. First regional eclipse shortlist: 2027-02-20 Penumbral lunar eclipse 23:14 UTC · 2027-08-17 Penumbral lunar eclipse 07:14 UTC · 2028-01-12 Partial lunar eclipse 04:14 UTC. Together these values form the local evidence record for the “constellations” page; they change with place and remain separate from real weather.
Tucson compared with nearby catalogue cities
1. Tucson → Mesa: 157.6 km · Δlat +1.201° · Δlon -0.896° · Δpole +1.2° · timezone America/Phoenix = America/Phoenix · longest night December 14 h 12 | 2. Tucson → Phoenix: 173.5 km · Δlat +1.227° · Δlon -1.148° · Δpole +1.2° · timezone America/Phoenix = America/Phoenix · longest night December 14 h 13 | 3. Tucson → El Paso: 421.8 km · Δlat -0.463° · Δlon +4.440° · Δpole -0.4° · timezone America/Phoenix ≠ America/Denver · longest night December 14 h 04. Monthly night comparison with the nearest catalogue reference — January: Tucson 13 h 53 / Mesa 13 h 59 / Δ -0.09 h · February: Tucson 13 h 08 / Mesa 13 h 12 / Δ -0.06 h · March: Tucson 12 h 14 / Mesa 12 h 15 / Δ -0.01 h · April: Tucson 11 h 12 / Mesa 11 h 10 / Δ +0.04 h · May: Tucson 10 h 21 / Mesa 10 h 16 / Δ +0.08 h · June: Tucson 9 h 54 / Mesa 9 h 48 / Δ +0.10 h · July: Tucson 10 h 05 / Mesa 9 h 59 / Δ +0.09 h · August: Tucson 10 h 49 / Mesa 10 h 46 / Δ +0.05 h · September: Tucson 11 h 49 / Mesa 11 h 48 / Δ +0.01 h · October: Tucson 12 h 49 / Mesa 12 h 51 / Δ -0.03 h · November: Tucson 13 h 41 / Mesa 13 h 46 / Δ -0.09 h · December: Tucson 14 h 06 / Mesa 14 h 12 / Δ -0.10 h. For constellation screening, latitude difference becomes a meridian-altitude difference; a small change is reported as small rather than exaggerated for local copy.
The astronomical fingerprint of Tucson
Tucson is represented by 32.2217° N, 110.9265° W, in Arizona, using the IANA zone America/Phoenix. This is a mid-latitude viewpoint: the relevant celestial pole stands about 32.2° above its horizon. The source elevation is 759 metres; terrain can hide a low object even when the geometric calculation says it rises.
Twelve monthly light estimates for Tucson
The following pairs are approximate daylight / night duration around the 15th of each month: January: 10 h 07 / 13 h 53; February: 10 h 52 / 13 h 08; March: 11 h 46 / 12 h 14; April: 12 h 48 / 11 h 12; May: 13 h 39 / 10 h 21; June: 14 h 06 / 9 h 54; July: 13 h 55 / 10 h 05; August: 13 h 11 / 10 h 49; September: 12 h 11 / 11 h 49; October: 11 h 11 / 12 h 49; November: 10 h 19 / 13 h 41; December: 9 h 54 / 14 h 06. The longest estimated night in this model is December at 14 h 06; the shortest is June at 9 h 54. “Night” here is the complement of daylight on a flat horizon. Civil, nautical and astronomical twilight are not interchangeable, and weather is not predicted by this table.
What the calculation does — and does not claim
Coordinates, date and local time feed the same astronomical workflow used by the poster. The HYG catalogue provides star entries, while Astronomy Engine calculates moving bodies. The page does not claim that city-centre coordinates equal a hospital, venue or home: selecting an autocomplete suggestion replaces the shortcut with that location. It also separates astronomical geometry from weather and light pollution, so a correct map never becomes a claim that the ground-level sky was cloudless.
Free gyroscope first, optional poster second
On a compatible phone, the gyroscope turns the calculated sky into a movable window: tilt and rotate to explore, with star names shown beside key points. That experience is free. If a date deserves a keepsake, the same place can continue into the editor. The protected preview remains watermarked before payment; the €3.99 purchase unlocks the 4960 × 7016 px, 300 DPI file. Physical formats appear only when availability, delivery supplement and timing can be checked for the destination. Checkout is in euros; the card issuer shows the current conversion to US dollars (USD).
Frequently asked questions
What constellations can I see tonight from Tucson?
In mid-October around 9:00 pm: Pegasus, Cygnus, Andromeda, Pisces, Cepheus and Cassiopeia overhead, Aries, Perseus and Cetus rising in the east. In mid-November: Andromeda, Pisces, Pegasus, Cassiopeia, Aries and Perseus overhead, Taurus, Auriga, Eridanus and Orion rising.
Which constellations never set from Tucson?
Ursa Minor, Cepheus and Draco stay above the horizon all night, all year, from Tucson's latitude (32.2° N).
Can I see the Southern Cross from Tucson?
No. From Tucson, the Southern Cross never rises above the horizon.
When is the best time to look?
After full darkness (7:12 pm in mid-October, 6:48 pm in mid-November, 6:48 pm in mid-December) and away from the full Moon (October 25, November 24, December 23). The new Moons of October 10, November 9, December 8 give the darkest skies.
How do I find constellations from a city?
Start from the brightest stars, let your eyes adapt for 15 to 20 minutes, and look for the main outline rather than every star. Light pollution hides faint stars, so patterns such as Cassiopeia's W or Orion's belt are the easiest first targets.
Why does the sky change during the year?
The stars rise about four minutes earlier each night, so the evening sky shifts by about two hours a month as the Earth orbits the Sun. From Tucson, Pegasus and Cygnus are overhead in mid-October; by mid-December, Aries and Perseus have taken over and Orion is rising in the east. Latitude matters too: it decides which groups never rise and which never set.
See tonight's constellations over Tucson

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See also
- A personalised star map gift for Tucson
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- Eclipse calendar for Tucson
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