The night sky in Chennai
In Chennai, the brightness of the night sky is estimated at 18.1 mag/arcsec²: an inner-city sky. On a clear, moonless night the naked eye sees stars down to magnitude 4.0, about 260 stars above the horizon; the Milky Way stays hidden.
See the sky of Chennai in 3D tonight
Where to find a darker sky
50 km north of Chennai, the sky darkens to 21.7 mag/arcsec² (rural sky): about 2,520 naked-eye stars, and the Milky Way on moonless nights.
Planets in October 2026
| Planet | When to see it | Direction | Brightness | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | not visible, too close to the Sun | — | -0.1 | Libra |
| Venus | not visible, too close to the Sun | — | -4.3 | Virgo |
| Mars | morning | east-northeast | 1.0 | Cancer |
| Jupiter | morning | east | -1.9 | Leo |
| Saturn | all night | southwest | 0.3 | Cetus |
Positions on the 15th of the month, an hour after sunset and an hour before sunrise. Brightness in magnitude: the smaller the number, the brighter the planet.
Next meteor showers
| Shower | Peak night | At best (ZHR) | Expected here | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draconids | Fri 9 October | 10 | 0 | 3 % |
| Orionids | Thu 22 October | 20 | ≈ 2 | 79 % |
| Northern Taurids | Fri 13 November | 5 | ≈ 1 | 11 % |
| Leonids | Wed 18 November | 15 | ≈ 1 | 55 % |
Expected here: meteors per hour under the city’s sky, with the radiant at its height at 3 a.m. (moonlight not counted).
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the Milky Way in Chennai?
Not from the city: street lighting brightens the sky to 18.1 mag/arcsec² and washes out the Milky Way. 50 km north, the sky darkens to 21.7 mag/arcsec².
Which planets can you see in October 2026 from Chennai?
Mars (morning, east), Jupiter (morning, east) and Saturn (all night, southwest).
How many stars can you see with the naked eye in Chennai?
About 260 stars above the horizon on a clear, moonless night (down to magnitude 4.0), against nearly 3,000 under a perfectly dark sky.
Method: artificial sky brightness estimated from NASA night imagery (VIIRS Black Marble), with a propagation law calibrated on the World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness (Falchi et al. 2016): ±0.4 mag/arcsec². Stars: Hipparcos catalogue down to magnitude 6; naked-eye limit after Garstang. Planets: astronomy-engine. Meteor showers: International Meteor Organization.