Anchorage, US Clear Sky Chart

Anchorage, US (61.22°, -149.9°) · Updated 12:16 AKDT
93
Excellent
high confidence ⓘ
high · Forecast lead time

Based on how far ahead tonight is, forecasts are most reliable within 24–48 hours.

Confidence reflects how trustworthy the forecast is, it doesn't change the score.

Go out tonight
BEST 23:00–04:41 (5h 42m)
Near-perfect skies with very low moonlight. Some dew risk later in the night.
Sunset
20:27
Sunrise
07:24
Usable Hours
6/6
Moon
9%
Visible Planets
♂ Mars24° E
♄ Saturn31° S
⛢ Uranus45° SE
♆ Neptune29° S
Open Full Anchorage, US Forecast →
Hour-by-hour scores · Planet rise/set & visibility · ISS & satellite passes · Moon detail · Full score breakdown · Aurora & observer profiles

Stargazing in Anchorage, US

Anchorage's extreme latitude (61°N) means summer brings perpetual twilight — the sun barely sets around the solstice, and astronomical darkness doesn't return until August. From September through March, however, the long nights, low humidity, and clean Arctic air produce exceptional conditions. Aurora is a headline attraction: Anchorage sits under the auroral oval, and displays are frequent from September to April. Bortle 4–5 in the city drops to Bortle 2 within 30 minutes on the Kenai Peninsula.

Anchorage, US Stargazing FAQ

Can you see the northern lights from Anchorage?∨
Yes — Anchorage sits under the auroral oval, and aurora displays are frequent from September to April. The city's latitude of 61°N is ideal for aurora, and displays can be visible even from within the city.
When can you stargaze in Anchorage?∨
From September through March — summer brings perpetual twilight around the solstice, and astronomical darkness doesn't return until August. The long winter nights (18+ hours) compensate with abundant dark time.
Where is the best dark sky near Anchorage?∨
Bortle 2 conditions are available within 30 minutes on the Kenai Peninsula. Hatcher Pass and Talkeetna to the north are also excellent. The Matanuska Valley offers wide-open horizons with mountain backdrops.

Stargazing guides

Is Tonight Good for Stargazing?

The answer depends on five things you can check right now.

Light Pollution & the Bortle Scale

How dark is your sky: and what difference does it make?

What Planets Are Visible Tonight?

Real visibility data for all 7 naked-eye and telescope planets, calculated for your location.

Why the Sky Isn't Dark in Summer

What happens to stargazing when the sun barely sets: and what you can still see.
Check light pollution for this area ↗

Other locations

London Edinburgh Manchester Birmingham Glasgow Cardiff Belfast Leeds Bristol Liverpool Inverness Aberdeen York Cambridge Ballymena Bath Oxford Nottingham Sheffield Newcastle Dublin New York Los Angeles Chicago Houston Phoenix Denver San Francisco Seattle Austin Boston Miami Portland Nashville Minneapolis Salt Lake City Tucson Flagstaff Sedona Moab Toronto Vancouver Montreal Calgary Jasper Paris Berlin Munich Amsterdam Rome Madrid Barcelona Lisbon Vienna Prague Copenhagen Stockholm Helsinki Oslo Tromsø Reykjavik Zurich Warsaw Budapest Athens Brussels Kiruna Rovaniemi Tenerife La Palma Tokyo Seoul Singapore Bangkok Dubai Mumbai Delhi Taipei Hong Kong Bali Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Perth Auckland Queenstown Cape Town Johannesburg Nairobi Marrakech Cairo Buenos Aires São Paulo Santiago Atacama Bogotá Mauna Kea Cherry Springs Galloway Forest Northumberland Cork Galway Plymouth Norwich Exeter Aberystwyth Kielder San Diego Las Vegas Dallas Atlanta Philadelphia Washington DC Albuquerque Big Bend Bryce Canyon Death Valley Ottawa Edmonton Winnipeg Yellowknife Milan Naples Krakow Geneva Nice Abisko Pic du Midi Sierra Nevada Faroe Islands Osaka Beijing Shanghai Kuala Lumpur Manila Abu Dhabi Tel Aviv Riyadh Istanbul Kyoto Adelaide Canberra Hobart Darwin Wellington Christchurch Lake Tekapo Uluru Windhoek Sutherland Casablanca Tunis Addis Ababa Accra Dar es Salaam Lagos Lima Quito Montevideo La Paz Elqui Valley Mendoza Cusco Asunción

See all locations on the map →