Stargazing Guides
Everything you need to know about reading the night sky, from checking tonight's conditions to understanding aurora forecasts.
Is Tonight Good for Stargazing?
Find out if tonight is good for stargazing at your location. Check cloud cover, moon phase, wind, humidity, and darkness window: scored 0–100.
What Planets Are Visible Tonight?
See which planets are visible tonight from your location. Real-time altitude calculations for Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Stargazing Forecast
Free stargazing forecast for any location worldwide. Cloud cover, moon phase, wind, humidity, and darkness scored 0–100 with a best viewing window.
Aurora Forecast: Northern & Southern Lights
Aurora forecast with Kp index, NOAA Ovation probability, and cloud cover. Check if the northern lights are visible tonight from your location.
How the Stargazing Score Works
How Clear Skys calculates the stargazing score: cloud layers, wind, humidity, rain, moon penalty, observer profiles, and custom user-built scoring explained.
Light Pollution & the Bortle Scale
Understand the Bortle scale from 1 to 9 and what you can see at each level. Learn how light pollution affects stargazing and how to find darker skies near you.
Why the Sky Isn't Dark in Summer
Why summer skies never get truly dark in the UK and northern Europe. What astronomical twilight means, what you can still observe, and when darkness returns.
Best Places to Stargaze: UK Dark Sky Sites
Where to stargaze in the UK and Ireland. Certified Dark Sky Parks, Bortle ratings, what you can see at each, and a live forecast for every site.
ISS & Satellite Watching Guide
How to see the ISS and bright satellites tonight. When they're visible, how passes work, what to look for, and why summer is the best season.
Best Time to Stargaze Tonight
Find the best time to stargaze tonight. When darkness starts, when the moon sets, and how to find your best viewing window: explained simply.
Meteor Shower Calendar 2026
Complete 2026 meteor shower calendar with peak dates, ZHR rates, moon conditions, and viewing tips. Perseids, Geminids, and 7 more showers.
Why a Clear Sky Overhead Doesn't Mean You'll See the ISS
Cloud cover tells you how much of the sky is covered, not which part. For satellite passes and anything low on the horizon, direction matters more than the total.
Why Cloud Cover Isn’t Enough for Stargazing
A weather forecast says 30% cloud. For astronomy, where the cloud is matters more than how much. How directional cloud forecasting works and why it matters for low-altitude targets.