Tonight's Night Sky
Daily naked-eye skywatching outlook for Jackson, Missouri — Saturday, May 9, 2026
🌌 Tonight's Sky Score
👀 Best Viewing Window
👀 Special Naked-Eye Sightings
ESE (112°) • 20–45° up • Before dawn
Look low-to-mid in the east-southeast before sunrise.
W or E (270°) • Low-to-mid sky • Twilight
Most often check west after sunset or east before sunrise.
S to E (135°) • Mid-to-high sky • Evening
Leo is south; Arcturus rises east.
☄️ Comet Watch
No currently listed naked-eye comet for tonight. Most comets are too dim without binoculars or a telescope, so this box will only light up when one has a realistic chance.
🌙 Moon
| Phase | 🌗 Last Quarter |
| Illumination | 48% |
| Moon Age | 22.4 days |
☀️ Sun & Twilight
| Sunset | 7:55 PM CDT |
| Civil Dusk | 8:24 PM CDT |
| Astronomical Dusk | 9:37 PM CDT |
How This Page Picks Tonight's Targets
This page favors things a normal person can step outside and see without a telescope: meteor showers, bright planets, bright comets when available, bright moon/planet pairings, and seasonal naked-eye targets. Rare events are intentionally ranked higher than routine objects. Directions are approximate for Jackson, Missouri and are meant as simple naked-eye guidance.
The cloud score now uses the selected current/tonight forecast period instead of scanning the entire forecast cache. That keeps future rain or the word "cloudy" inside "partly cloudy" from incorrectly dragging tonight down.
Generated: 8:23 AM CDT. Comet and rare-event entries use a curated list that should be updated when new bright events are announced.