What is that bright star in the sky tonight?

It’s the most common question people ask about the night sky. Usually it’s one of a short list.

Low in the west after sunset, or east before dawn

Almost certainly Venus. Nothing else besides the Moon gets that bright. It’s often visible while the sky is still blue.

High and bright, not twinkling

Likely Jupiter. It’s bright enough to see from the middle of a city.

Very bright, twinkling, flashing colours

If it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the star is in the south-east to south, it’s probably Sirius. Low in the sky it twinkles hard and can flash red, blue and green. People report it as a UFO every year.

Orange or red

Mars, or one of the orange stars like Arcturus, Betelgeuse or Aldebaran. Mars doesn’t twinkle much, the stars do.

Moving

If it moves steadily without blinking, it’s a satellite. The International Space Station is the brightest and crosses the sky in a few minutes. If it blinks red and green, it’s a plane.

Check it in ten seconds

Hold up Sky Map and point at it. The label tells you what it is.

Great App!

It actually shows the positions of the stars and other space objects and it’s accurate. Recommend if you want to learn about the space objects.

★★★★★ App Store review, United States, 10 April 2026, Just Alex Morgan · App Store

Our longer piece covers more cases: what is that bright object in the sky?.

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