Night sky tonight in Des Moines
Tonight, Thursday, October 29, 2026, the sun sets in Des Moines at 6:13 PM. The sky is fully dark from 7:46 PM, and the best time to look is around 8:46 PM. There is a waning gibbous Moon in the sky tonight, 80% lit.
Tonight at a glance
- Sunset
- 6:13 PM
- Fully dark from
- 7:46 PM
- Best time to look
- 8:46 PM
- Time chosen as
- One hour after astronomical dusk
- Sunrise
- 7:44 AM
- Moon phase
- waning gibbous Moon
- Moon lit
- 80%
- Moonrise
- 8:50 PM
- Moonset
- 12:08 PM
| Planet | Visible | Direction | Altitude | Rises | Sets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | No | west | -24° | 8:47 AM | 6:34 PM |
| Venus | No | west | -38° | 7:05 AM | 5:21 PM |
| Mars | No | north | -30° | 12:57 AM | 3:10 PM |
| Jupiter | No | north | -34° | 1:32 AM | 3:23 PM |
| Saturn | Yes | southeast | 37° | 5:13 PM | 5:26 AM |
| Uranus | With a telescope | east | 13° | 7:29 PM | 10:13 AM |
| Neptune | With a telescope | southeast | 39° | 4:50 PM | 4:51 AM |
| Star | Constellation | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vega | Lyra | west | 51° |
| Capella | Auriga | northeast | 18° |
| Altair | Aquila | southwest | 46° |
| Fomalhaut | Piscis Austrinus | south | 18° |
| Deneb | Cygnus | west | 75° |
| Alioth | Ursa Major | northwest | 14° |
| Mirfak | Perseus | northeast | 36° |
| Dubhe | Ursa Major | north | 14° |
| Alkaid | Ursa Major | northwest | 13° |
| Menkalinan | Auriga | northeast | 12° |
37 constellations are above the horizon. Highest in the sky: Lacerta, Cygnus, Pegasus, Cepheus, Vulpecula, Cassiopeia, Delphinus, Andromeda, Equuleus, Sagitta, Lyra, and Pisces.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2026 | Last quarter Moon |
| Nov 5, 2026 | Southern Taurids: Meteor shower peak |
Questions about the night sky tonight in Des Moines
Tonight in Des Moines you can see Saturn in the southeast. Uranus and Neptune are above the horizon, but you need a telescope to see them.
The sun sets at 6:13 PM. The sky is fully dark from 7:46 PM, and the best time to look is around 8:46 PM.
Tonight in Des Moines there is a waning gibbous Moon in the sky, 80% lit. It rises at 8:50 PM. It sets at 12:08 PM.
Coming up in the next 7 days: Last quarter Moon on Nov 1, 2026 and Southern Taurids: Meteor shower peak on Nov 5, 2026.