What's in the night sky tonight over Cairns?
Cairns sky tonight: October–December 2026
| Month | Evening planets | Before dawn | Brightest after dark | Fully dark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mid-October · 9:00 pm | Saturn (NE) | Mars (rises 1:52 am), Jupiter (rises 2:34 am) | Saturn (NE, planet), Achernar (SE), Altair (NW) | 7:30 pm |
| mid-November · 9:00 pm | Saturn (N) | Venus (rises 3:45 am), Mars (rises 12:48 am), Jupiter (rises 12:45 am) | Rigel (E), Achernar (S), Saturn (N, planet) | 7:46 pm |
| mid-December · 9:00 pm | Saturn (NW) | Venus (rises 2:50 am), Mars (rises 11:29 pm), Jupiter (rises 10:52 pm) | Sirius (E), Canopus (SE), Capella (NE) | 8:07 pm |
From Cairns in mid-October: Saturn is up all night. Look northeast after 9:00 pm, 50° up (about 5 fists above the horizon). Later, Mars rises around 1:52 am and Jupiter rises around 2:34 am. Venus joins the dawn sky in November. Brightest after dark: Saturn, Achernar and Altair. Fully dark from 7:30 pm. Full Moons: October 26, November 25 and December 24.
Full Moon: October 26 (2:12 pm), November 25 (12:54 am), December 24 (11:28 am). New Moon (darkest skies): October 11, November 9, December 9. For tonight to the minute, use the live chart just below.
- Make tonight's sky a gift. Preview the free star map of a night in Cairns
- Or name a star in Aquarius, high over Cairns on October evenings: a symbolic dedication with a PDF certificate. Choose a star in Aquarius
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 sky over Cairns
The planets, bright stars and dark hours of October–December 2026, plus a live chart for tonight
The season table answers for October–December 2026 in Cairns's own clock time; the live chart recomputes tonight's Moon, planets and constellations for the city or for your exact location. Both are free and need no sign-up.
Why choose Starry Memory
- Answer first, computed for the city — The season table is calculated for Cairns's own sky and clock, month by month, rather than copied from a national guide.
- Live for tonight — The chart below recomputes the Moon, planets and constellations for tonight and for your exact location if you allow it.
- Planets and bright stars named — Each month lists which planets are up in the evening, which rise before dawn, and the brightest points you are likely to notice.
- Honest limits — Weather, light pollution and a low horizon are stated, not hidden: a planet above the horizon can still be lost behind cloud or buildings.
The sky over Cairns changes through the night and through the season. This guide gives the answer for October–December 2026 first; the live chart then shows tonight exactly.
Planets from Cairns, month by month
In mid-October: Mars rises around 1:52 am and stands 36° high in the northeast an hour before sunrise; Jupiter rises around 2:34 am and stands 29° high in the northeast an hour before sunrise; Saturn is up all night: 50° high in the northeast at 9:00 pm, highest around 11:23 pm. Mercury and Venus are not visible. In mid-November: Venus rises around 3:45 am and stands 11° high in the east an hour before sunrise; Mars rises around 12:48 am and stands 47° high in the northeast an hour before sunrise; Jupiter rises around 12:45 am and stands 48° high in the northeast an hour before sunrise; Saturn is 72° up in the north at 9:00 pm and sets around 3:14 am. Mercury is not visible. In mid-December: Venus rises around 2:50 am and stands 25° high in the east an hour before sunrise; Mars rises around 11:29 pm and stands 60° high in the north an hour before sunrise; Jupiter rises around 10:52 pm and stands 60° high in the north an hour before sunrise; Saturn is 58° up in the northwest at 9:00 pm and sets around 1:14 am. Mercury is not visible.
The brightest lights after dark
The brightest points above Cairns on evenings of the season, with their height above the horizon: mid-October at 9:00 pm: Saturn (planet), 50° in the northeast; Achernar, 35° in the southeast; Altair, 45° in the northwest; Fomalhaut, 74° in the southeast. mid-November at 9:00 pm: Rigel, 18° in the east; Achernar, 47° in the south; Saturn (planet), 72° in the north; Altair, 19° in the west. mid-December at 9:00 pm: Sirius, 27° in the east; Canopus, 31° in the southeast; Capella, 15° in the northeast; Rigel, 46° in the east. Stars twinkle more than planets, especially near the horizon.
Moon phases in Cairns time
Full Moon: October 26 (2:12 pm), November 25 (12:54 am), December 24 (11:28 am). New Moon: October 11 (1:50 am), November 9 (5:02 pm), December 9 (10:52 am). Around full Moon the sky is bright and only planets and the brightest stars stand out; around new Moon, faint stars and the Milky Way reappear away from city lights.
When is it dark in Cairns?
On the 15th of each month, full darkness starts at 7:30 pm in mid-October, 7:46 pm in mid-November, 8:07 pm in mid-December. Sunrise comes at 5:48 am in mid-October, 5:34 am in mid-November, 5:38 am in mid-December. From Cairns's southern-hemisphere latitude (16.9°), the nights shorten towards the December solstice.
Constellations to look for this season
High overhead in mid-October: Aquarius, Piscis Austrinus, Grus and Pegasus. Rising in the east: Andromeda, Eridanus and Aries. By mid-December: Cetus, Eridanus, Phoenix, Aries and Pisces overhead, with Canis Major, Puppis, Auriga and Gemini rising.
Near Cairns
From Townsville, 283 km away, full darkness in mid-October begins 2 minutes earlier; the same planets and constellations apply, so this guide also works there. Other nearby guides: Sunshine Coast (1319 km), Toowoomba (1343 km).
Eclipses in the region
Eclipses listed for the wider region: 18 July 2027: Penumbral lunar eclipse, 16:04 UTC; 17 August 2027: Penumbral lunar eclipse, 07:14 UTC; 6 July 2028: Partial lunar eclipse, 18:20 UTC; 22 July 2028: Total solar eclipse, 02:56 UTC; 31 December 2028: Total lunar eclipse, 16:53 UTC; 11 July 2029: Partial solar eclipse, 15:37 UTC. A regional match is not a guarantee: solar-eclipse paths are narrow and a lunar eclipse needs the Moon above your horizon. Check the NASA map for each event and never look at the Sun without certified eclipse glasses.
How the times are calculated
Times are local clock times (daylight saving included) for the centre of Cairns, computed on September 26, 2026 with Astronomy Engine for the 15th of each month. “Evening” means 9 pm, or the end of nautical twilight when it is later; “before dawn” means one hour before sunrise; “full darkness” is the end of astronomical twilight. A flat horizon is assumed: hills, buildings, cloud and light pollution can hide low objects. The live chart at the top of the page recomputes tonight for your exact location.
Make tonight's sky over Cairns a gift
A night under the Cairns sky can become a present. The free star map draws the sky of any date and place at 10 pm (the time is set in the poster creator): check the preview before choosing the HD file or a print. To give a star instead, the certificate is a symbolic dedication in a private registry, with a two-page PDF; you can pick one in Aquarius, high over Cairns in mid-October. Whether a star shows to the naked eye depends on its brightness, the hour and your sky.
Frequently asked questions
What is the bright star in the sky tonight in Cairns?
In mid-October at 9:00 pm, the brightest points above Cairns are Saturn (northeast, 50° up, a planet), Achernar (southeast, 35° up), Altair (northwest, 45° up), Fomalhaut (southeast, 74° up). A bright point that barely twinkles is usually a planet: Saturn is the likeliest bright "star" of the evening. For tonight's exact positions, use the live chart on this page.
Which planets can I see tonight from Cairns?
In mid-October: Mars rises around 1:52 am and stands 36° high in the northeast an hour before sunrise; Jupiter rises around 2:34 am and stands 29° high in the northeast an hour before sunrise; Saturn is up all night: 50° high in the northeast at 9:00 pm, highest around 11:23 pm. Mercury and Venus are not visible. In mid-November: Venus rises around 3:45 am and stands 11° high in the east an hour before sunrise; Mars rises around 12:48 am and stands 47° high in the northeast an hour before sunrise; Jupiter rises around 12:45 am and stands 48° high in the northeast an hour before sunrise; Saturn is 72° up in the north at 9:00 pm and sets around 3:14 am. Mercury is not visible.
When is it fully dark in Cairns tonight?
Full darkness (the end of astronomical twilight) begins around 7:30 pm in mid-October, 7:46 pm in mid-November, 8:07 pm in mid-December. Bright planets and stars appear earlier, about half an hour after sunset.
When is the next full moon in Cairns?
In Cairns time, the full Moons of the season fall on October 26 (2:12 pm), November 25 (12:54 am), December 24 (11:28 am). The darkest skies, best for faint stars and the Milky Way, are around the new Moons of October 11, November 9, December 9.
Do I need a telescope?
No. Planets and the brightest stars are easy to see with the naked eye once your eyes adapt for 15 to 20 minutes away from direct lights. Binoculars show Jupiter's moons; a small telescope shows Saturn's rings.
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 Cairns, Aquarius and Piscis Austrinus are overhead in mid-October; by mid-December, Cetus and Eridanus have taken over and Canis Major is rising in the east. The planets also move against the stars from week to week.
✦ Personalised star certificate
Look up: give a star you can find in the sky
A personalised certificate with a QR code: one smartphone scan shows the star in 3D, then its direction in the real sky.
- Choose a real star and its name
- Scan the certificate’s QR code, no app needed
- Find it in the sky with your smartphone
From €8.91 · PDF to download as soon as you pay
Symbolic dedication in the private Starry Memory registry. Depending on its brightness and the weather, you’ll see it with the naked eye, with binoculars, or find its direction.
Name a star: the certificate in detail
Rather the sky of a date and place? Create a star map · HD file €3.99
See also
- October 2026 planets in Cairns
- October 2026 moonless nights in Cairns
- A personalised star map gift for Cairns
- Night length and darkness calendar for Cairns
- Which constellations can you see from Cairns tonight?
- Eclipse calendar for Cairns
- What's in the night sky tonight over Townsville?
- What's in the night sky tonight over Sunshine Coast?
- What's in the night sky tonight over Toowoomba?
- Personalised star map gifts across Australia
- The sky tonight, calculated for 374 cities
- What's in the night sky tonight, from where you are?