Current Weather & Forecast
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A great application from MeteoBlue for astronomical seeing conditions.
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MeteoEarth is a dynamic weather and Moon phase application. Click & drag on the globe to see the region of interest, and pick the weather features you wish to see, scroll to zoom in and out, hit play and watch the Sun & Moon whiz around for the next 24 hours.
Another good resource for checking detailed short-range sky conditions is the Clear Sky Chart. It reads from left to right in a 24 hour time format, with 0 being midnight, 13 being 1 PM, and 23 being 11 PM.
The most important lines to consider are Cloud Cover & Transparency. The colors are picked from what color the sky is likely to be, with dark blue being clear, and grey to white representing overcast:
NOTE: You may have to refresh your browser cache to see the most up to date chart:
Windows: ctrl + F5, Mac/Apple: Apple + R or command + R, Linux: F5
Or click on the graphic below to see the current chart and more detailed information.
Windows: ctrl + F5, Mac/Apple: Apple + R or command + R, Linux: F5
Or click on the graphic below to see the current chart and more detailed information.
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Today's Sun & Moon data
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Moon Phase
Even though the full moon is a beautiful sight to behold, it is very bright. While the brighter stars and planets are unaffected, the Milky Way and faint "deep sky" objects such as galaxies and nebulae can be overpowered by bright moonlight. The periods around the new moon and crescent phases are the best times for observation of these fainter objects:
If your primary interests lie in viewing "deep sky" objects, please consult the Moon Phases Calendar for new and waxing/waning crescent moon phases when planning your observing.
