SKY · STARGAZING · USA

Is Tonight Good for Stargazing in San Francisco?

The sky is forecast to stay overcast through tonight's dark hours (about 100% cloud), so there's little chance of seeing the stars wherever the Moon is.

TONIGHT'S VERDICT · SAN FRANCISCO
VerdictOvercast — not a stargazing night
Night cloud100%
MoonLast Quarter · 49%
Dark from8:30 PM
Until5:47 AM

Worth looking for: Little to nothing — try again on a clearer night.

Live cloud reading

READING TONIGHT'S SKY…

How dark is the sky over San Francisco?

Sky class (estimate)Bortle 8 · City sky

The Bay Area glow is Bortle 8; the coast and Sierra foothills darken with distance.

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

Darker skies within reach of San Francisco

~4 HR DRIVE NORTH-EASTLassen Volcanic National ParkBortle 2 skies in the far north of the state.
~2 HR DRIVE SOUTHPinnacles National ParkBortle 4 within easy reach south.

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

San Francisco right now

More sky over San Francisco

SEE IT ON THE MAP

Live cloud cover over San Francisco, on the full map.

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