StarCast · Stargazing Forecast
LightCast

Is Tonight Good for Stargazing?

StarCast checks cloud cover, moon phase, atmospheric transparency, and your Bortle class — then gives you one score so you know whether tonight is worth being outside.

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Why "clear skies" isn't the whole answer

What Actually Makes a Good Stargazing Night

A weather app showing "clear" doesn't tell you much. Stargazing quality depends on how clear, how dark, and how stable the atmosphere is — three different things a standard forecast won't break out for you. StarCast combines all of them into one score.

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Cloud Cover: How Much Sky You Actually Have
Even partly cloudy can work for casual stargazing, but you need a reliable window. Under 20% cloud cover gives you consistent, uninterrupted views. StarCast scores cloud coverage progressively and shows the forecast across the night, not just a single snapshot.
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Moon Phase: The Sky's Brightness Floor
A bright moon doesn't cancel stargazing entirely — planets and bright stars are still visible — but it eliminates dim deep-sky objects entirely. Near new moon, the sky goes 10–100x darker and fainter stars become visible. StarCast shows moon phase, rise time, and set time together.
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Atmospheric Transparency: Star Brightness and Count
Humidity, smoke, and fine aerosols in the atmosphere reduce how many stars you can actually see — even on a technically clear night. Post-frontal air after a cold front is almost always the best transparency of the week. StarCast factors transparency into every score.
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Bortle Class: Your Sky's Baseline Darkness
Light pollution sets the ceiling on what you can see regardless of conditions. Bortle 1–3 shows the Milky Way clearly. Bortle 6–7 shows only the brightest stars and planets. StarCast loads your Bortle class automatically so you know upfront what your location can deliver.
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StarCast Push Alerts
StarCast monitors conditions nightly for your saved locations. When tonight scores well, you get a push notification before dark — not at midnight when it's too late to plan. Set your threshold once. Exclusive to the iOS app.
Common Questions
Is tonight good for stargazing?
Check StarCast for your location — it scores cloud cover, moon phase, transparency, and Bortle class together into one number. A score of 60+ is a solid stargazing night; 80+ is excellent. Free on web, push alerts in the iOS app.
Can you stargaze when it's partly cloudy?
Yes, depending on the cloud pattern. Broken high cloud with clear patches still allows casual stargazing and can produce good photos. Under 30% cloud cover is generally workable. StarCast's score accounts for this — it isn't all-or-nothing on cloud cover.
Does moon phase affect stargazing?
Significantly. A full or near-full moon washes out dim stars and the Milky Way. The best stargazing happens within a week of new moon, when you get full dark skies from astronomical twilight end through pre-dawn. StarCast shows the moon rise and set so you know your dark window.
What time is best for stargazing tonight?
After astronomical twilight ends — roughly 90 minutes after sunset — when the sky reaches full darkness. If the moon rises later in the night, the pre-moonrise window is prime. StarCast shows exact timing for your location.
What is LightCast StarCast?
StarCast scores tonight's stargazing conditions using moon phase, Bortle class, atmospheric transparency, and cloud cover. Push alerts notify you when conditions look strong. Free on web at lightcastsuite.com/starcast, push notifications in the LightCast iOS app. $2.99/month after a 7-day free trial.
LightCast
One score for tonight's sky. No spreadsheet required.

Cloud cover · Moon phase · Transparency · Bortle class
Push alerts · Saved locations · 3-day outlook

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