Kourou, French Guiana

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

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Kourou, French Guiana Tuesday 19 May 2026

Rocket launch

Vega-C | Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE)

Launched - good from here

Lifted off 12:52 AM

Very LowExcellent
Look
WNW
Crossing your sky
When
12:52 AM
Highest around 1:01 AM
Distance
10 mi
Climbs to
85°
Lighting
Dark sky
Launch site
Ariane Launch Area 1 (ELV)
Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

A bright climbing star and a flame. The vehicle is in shadow itself, so there is no lit plume behind it.

That morning

Sunrise

6:16 AM

6:16 AM

5:53 AM Blue hour
6:16 AM Sunrise
6:45 AM Golden hour ends

Sunset

6:38 PM

6:38 PM

Too far ahead for a weather forecast. These are the sun's own times - they will not change.

6:08 PM Golden hour
6:38 PM Sunset
7:00 PM Blue hour ends

Milky Way

Milky Way

Fair viewing

Visible from 10:02 PM

Very LowExcellent
Visible, no moon
10:02 PM to 5:01 AM
Where to look
Southern horizon, up to 56° above it
Highest at
2:22 AM
Sky fully dark
7:52 PM to 5:01 AM
Sky darkness
Limited
Cloud
Not forecast yet

The bright center of the Milky Way: when it is above the horizon with the sky fully dark and the Moon set, brought down for how dark the sky is here (estimated from the towns around by Walker's law) and for cloud where the forecast reaches.

Moon

Waxing crescent

11% lit

9:00 AM – 9:53 PM

ENE WNW
9:00 AM Moonrise
9:18 AM 4°
3:27 PM Highest, 68°
9:35 PM 4°
9:53 PM Moonset

Between the two 4° marks the Moon is clear of haze and most of what stands on the horizon.

Timetable

  • Morning blue hour 5:53 AM–6:16 AM
  • Morning best color 5:59 AM
  • Sunrise 6:16 AM
  • Morning golden hour 6:16 AM–6:45 AM
  • Moonrise 9:00 AM
  • Evening golden hour 6:08 PM–6:38 PM
  • Sunset 6:38 PM
  • Evening blue hour 6:38 PM–7:00 PM
  • Evening best color 6:53 PM
  • Fully dark 7:52 PM–5:01 AM
  • Moonset 9:53 PM
  • Dark, no Moon 10:02 PM–5:01 AM
← Previous day Monday Mon, May 18
Next day → Wednesday Wed, May 20

Upcoming celestial events for Kourou, French Guiana

Milky Way Visible 7:28 PM to 10:18 PM with no moon, 42° above the southwestern horizon - 6 nights 8 Oct to 13 Oct
Thu 8 Oct 2026 7:28 PM International Space Station Brilliant pass, SW to NE, 86 deg up
Fri 9 Oct 2026 5:50 AM International Space Station Bright pass, SSW to ENE, 34 deg up
Sat 10 Oct 2026 5:03 AM New moon Moonless and fully dark 7:30 PM to 5:00 AM Sat 10 Oct 2026 12:50 PM Orionids Around 19 an hour
Tue 20 Oct 2026 4:44 AM Hunter's Moon Rises 5:47 PM in the ENE Sun 25 Oct 2026 5:47 PM Partial solar eclipse 7.9% of the Sun covered
Sat 6 Feb 2027 2:19 PM Partial lunar eclipse 6% of the Moon in shadow
Tue 11 Jan 2028 1:13 AM Partial solar eclipse 83.4% of the Sun covered
Wed 26 Jan 2028 12:10 PM Total lunar eclipse Totality lasts 101 minutes
Mon 25 Jun 2029 12:22 AM Total lunar eclipse 88% of it above your horizon
Thu 20 Dec 2029 7:42 PM Partial solar eclipse 1.6% of the Sun covered
Mon 20 Mar 2034 6:33 AM Partial solar eclipse 1.6% of the Sun covered
Tue 12 Sep 2034 1:33 PM Partial lunar eclipse 1% of the Moon in shadow
Wed 27 Sep 2034 11:46 PM Partial lunar eclipse 10% of the Moon in shadow
Sat 18 Aug 2035 10:11 PM Total lunar eclipse 66% of it above your horizon
Mon 11 Feb 2036 7:12 PM Total lunar eclipse Totality lasts 95 minutes
Wed 6 Aug 2036 11:51 PM

Every celestial event, and where else to see it