SKY · STARGAZING · USA

Is Tonight Good for Stargazing in Los Angeles?

Clear skies tonight (about 25% cloud) with a modest Moon. Bright planets, constellations and brighter deep-sky sights are all on offer; faint detail is a little muted.

TONIGHT'S VERDICT · LOS ANGELES
VerdictGood night for stargazing
Night cloud25%
MoonLast Quarter · 49%
Dark from8:03 PM
Until5:41 AM

Worth looking for: Planets, constellations, the brighter star clusters — and the Milky Way from a properly dark site.

Live cloud reading

READING TONIGHT'S SKY…

How dark is the sky over Los Angeles?

Sky class (estimate)Bortle 8 · City sky

The LA basin glows for tens of miles; the centre is Bortle 8–9.

Even on the clearest, Moonless night, a bright city sky limits what you can see. For the Milky Way and faint stars from Los Angeles, you'll want to reach a darker site — see the options below.

Darker skies within reach of Los Angeles

~2.5 HR DRIVE EASTJoshua Tree National ParkIDA-certified Dark Sky Park; superb desert skies.
~4 HR DRIVE NORTH-EASTDeath Valley National ParkIDA Gold-tier Dark Sky Park — among the darkest in the US.

Dark-sky designations from the International Dark-Sky Association and well-recognised dark regions. Always check access, opening hours and the weather before travelling.

Los Angeles right now

More sky over Los Angeles

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Live cloud cover over Los Angeles, on the full map.

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