Will it be clear for stargazing in Anchorage tonight?

Cloudy all night; no moonlight (new Moon). That is the hourly total-cloud forecast for Anchorage, United States on the night of 8 October 2026, read inside the darkest hours: under 25% cloud counts as clear and 65% or more as cloudy. Most of the cloud is high and thin, which dims faint objects rather than hiding the sky.

When does it get dark in Anchorage tonight?

In Anchorage, United States on the night of 8 October 2026, astronomical darkness begins at 9:32 PM and lasts until 6:02 AM AKDT — 8 h 29 min of fully dark sky. The Sun sets at 7:08 PM, and nautical twilight ends at 8:41 PM.

Is the Moon up tonight in Anchorage?

On the night of 8 October 2026 in Anchorage, United States, the Moon is a new moon, 2% illuminated. It sets at 6:25 PM and rises at 7:29 AM, AKDT. 8 h 29 min of the dark window is moon-free.

Which planets can I see from Anchorage tonight?

From Anchorage, United States on the night of 8 October 2026: Mars (2:22 AM–6:02 AM, highest 36° in the SE at 6:02 AM, magnitude 1.1); Jupiter (4:02 AM–6:02 AM, highest 25° in the E at 6:02 AM, magnitude -1.9); Saturn (9:32 PM–6:02 AM, highest 31° in the S at 1:32 AM, magnitude 0.2). Times are AKDT; all are visible to the naked eye.

Stargazing forecast

Stargazing forecast for Anchorage, Alaska

Thu 8 Oct night
61.218° N, 149.900° W
31 m
AKDT · America/Anchorage

Open the live forecast — sky score, seeing, 7 nights

Tonight at a glance

Cloudy all night; no moonlight (new Moon).

Most of the cloud is high and thin, which dims faint objects rather than hiding the sky.
Dew risk: the temperature comes within 2 °C (3.6 °F) of the dew point by 9:00 PM — optics may fog without a dew heater.

Updated 10:23 AM AKDT (8 Oct, 18:23 UTC) · MET Norway forecast issued 8 Oct, 17:18 UTC

Cloud cover: 95%Cloudy
Dark hours: 8 h 29 min9:32 PM–6:02 AM
Moon: 2%8 h 29 min moon-free
Wind: 4 mphCalm
Low temperature: 34°FDuring the dark hours
Dew risk: HighAir comes within 1° of the dew point

Photo: Milky Way over Paranal — ESO/A. Ghizzi Panizza (www.albertoghizzipanizza.com), CC BY 4.0

Hourly forecast

Cloud by layer, hour by hour. Darker blue means clearer sky; each cell shows its percentage. Low cloud blocks the sky outright; thin high cloud only dims it.

Hourly cloud cover (%) and conditions tonight in Anchorage
AKDT	Thu 8							Fri 9																								Sat 10
Hour	5p	6p	7p	8p	9p	10p	11p	12a	1a	2a	3a	4a	5a	6a	7a	8a	9a	10a	11a	12p	1p	2p	3p	4p	5p	6p	7p	8p	9p	10p	11p	12a	1a	2a	3a	4a	5a	6a	7a	8a
Sky: Daylight 5p–7p, Civil twilight 7p–8p, Nautical twilight 8p–9p, Astronomical twilight 9p–10p, Dark 10p–6a, Astronomical twilight 6a–7a, Nautical twilight 7a–8a, Daylight 8a–7p, Civil twilight 7p–8p, Nautical twilight 8p–9p, Astronomical twilight 9p–10p, Dark 10p–6a, Astronomical twilight 6a–7a, Nautical twilight 7a–8a, Daylight 8a–9a
Total cloud	51	13	31	45	70	95	91	97	99	99	100	100	99	99	98	94	59	48	70	46	80	61	66	98	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	99	100	99	99	99	97	97	99
Low cloud	51	6	6	11	38	78	81	80	70	73	81	80	56	56	58	63	56	48	66	39	7	3	45	44	82	62	88	55	55	35	25	41	20	34	27	23	38	39	26	31
Mid cloud	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	14	42	19	10	5	1	9	2	7	19	62	91	100	100	100	93	99	99	99	100	98	100	98	97	98	96	95	99
High cloud	1	6	27	37	50	80	64	87	98	98	99	99	98	96	96	75	2	0	0	13	77	51	9	63	48	22	17	87	68	68	88	96	46	80	86	54	0	0	0	0
Sun & Moon
Temperature °F	46	45	43	41	39	38	36	35	34	34	35	36	37	36	36	37	38	40	44	45	47	48	49	49	48	47	46	45	45	44	44	44	45	46	45	44	44	44	46	46
Dew point °F; dew risk (within 2° of the dew point): 9p, 10p, 11p, 12a, 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 8a, 9a, 10a	38	38	37	36	38	36	35	34	33	33	33	34	35	34	34	35	35	37	38	38	36	34	32	33	33	33	34	36	37	39	39	39	39	38	39	40	40	39	37	37
Wind mph	3	2	2	2	3	4	4	5	5	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	6	8	8	7	9	13	18	22	24	26	25	25	25	25	24	21	20	22	22	23	24	25	26	26
Rain (mm)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.3	0.2	1.1	0.9	0.4	0.2	0.1	0.4	0.7	0.5	0.2	0	0	0

Cloud cover0–9%10–24%25–44%45–64%65–84%85–100%

SkyDaylightCivil twilightNautical twilightAstronomical twilightDark

Sun altitudeMoon altitude12dew risk (within 2° of the dew point)Scroll sideways for the next 40 hours →

Weather data: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0)

Next 7 nights

Average cloud during each night's dark hours, with the Moon. The first two to three nights use hourly data; later nights use MET Norway's 6-hourly steps and are less certain.

Tonight8 Oct
95%Cloudy
2% · 8 h 29 min moon-free
9:32 PM–6:02 AM
Fri9 Oct
99%Cloudy
0% · 8 h 35 min moon-free
9:29 PM–6:04 AM
Sat10 Oct
88%Cloudy
1% · 8 h 41 min moon-free
9:26 PM–6:07 AM
6-hourly data
Sun11 Oct
54%Partly cloudy
3% · 8 h 47 min moon-free
9:23 PM–6:10 AM
6-hourly data
Mon12 Oct
88%Cloudy
8% · 8 h 53 min moon-free
9:19 PM–6:12 AM
6-hourly data
Tue13 Oct
74%Cloudy
14% · 8 h 59 min moon-free
9:16 PM–6:15 AM
6-hourly data
Wed14 Oct
92%Cloudy
21% · 9 h 4 min moon-free
9:13 PM–6:18 AM
6-hourly data

Sun & twilight

Twilight ends in three steps. Faint galaxies and the Milky Way need astronomical darkness, when the Sun is more than 18° below the horizon.

Sunset: 7:08 PM
Civil dusk (−6°): 7:51 PM
Nautical dusk (−12°): 8:41 PM
Astronomical dusk (−18°): 9:32 PM
Astronomical dawn (−18°): 6:02 AM
Nautical dawn (−12°): 6:53 AM
Civil dawn (−6°): 7:43 AM
Sunrise: 8:27 AM

Dark window: 9:32 PM – 6:02 AM AKDT (8 h 29 min)

The Moon

New Moon

Illuminated: 2%
Age: 27.6 days
Moonrise: 7:29 AM
Moonset: 6:25 PM
Moon-free dark time: 8 h 29 min

Next phases

New MoonSat 10 Oct7:50 AM
First QuarterSun 18 Oct8:13 AM
Full MoonSun 25 Oct8:12 PM
Last QuarterSun 1 Nov11:28 AM

Next lunar eclipse visible here: Partial · Tue 11 Jan 2028, 7:13 PM · Moon 19° up
Next solar eclipse visible here: Partial · Mon 11 Jun 2029, 8:59 PM · 12% of the Sun covered

Planets tonight

Naked-eye planets that climb more than 10° above the horizon during the astronomically dark hours.

Altitude through the night

Planets tonight — Anchorage
Planet	Rises	Transits (altitude)	Sets	Best seen tonight	Brightness	In
JupiterVisible	2:18 AM	10:20 AM · 44°	6:26 PM	4:02 AM–6:02 AM, E	mag -1.9	Leo
SaturnVisible	7:14 PM	1:31 AM · 31°	7:48 AM	9:32 PM–6:02 AM, S	mag 0.2	Cetus
MarsVisible	12:34 AM	9:23 AM · 49°	6:15 PM	2:22 AM–6:02 AM, SE	mag 1.1	Cancer
Venus	11:49 AM	3:00 PM · 8°	6:06 PM	Below 10°	mag -4.5	Virgo
Mercury	11:35 AM	3:18 PM · 11°	7:03 PM	Below 10°	mag -0.1	Libra

Lower magnitude = brighter. Venus and Jupiter outshine every star.

Sky events — next 90 days

Moon phases, seasons, planet highlights and eclipses, with times for this city.

Oct10Sat
Moon · 7:50 AM
New Moon
Darkest skies of the month for galaxies and the Milky Way.
Oct12Mon
Planet · 2:06 AM
Mercury at greatest evening elongation
25° from the Sun — the best evening view of Mercury, low in the west after sunset.
Oct25Sun
Moon · 8:12 PM
Full Moon
Bright moonlight all night; best for the Moon itself.
Oct28Wed
Moon · 10:04 AM
Moon at perigee near full (a “supermoon”)
Closest to Earth this month: 364,397 km.
Nov8Sun
Moon · 10:02 PM
New Moon
Darkest skies of the month for galaxies and the Milky Way.
Nov24Tue
Moon · 5:54 AM
Full Moon
Bright moonlight all night; best for the Moon itself.
Nov25Wed
Moon · 12:02 PM
Moon at perigee near full (a “supermoon”)
Closest to Earth this month: 359,335 km.
Dec8Tue
Moon · 3:52 PM
New Moon
Darkest skies of the month for galaxies and the Milky Way.
Dec21Mon
Season · 11:50 AM
Winter solstice
The longest night of the year — the most hours of darkness.
Dec23Wed
Moon · 4:28 PM
Full Moon
Bright moonlight all night; best for the Moon itself.
Dec23Wed
Moon · 11:32 PM
Moon at perigee near full (a “supermoon”)
Closest to Earth this month: 356,641 km.
Jan3Sun
Planet · 8:56 AM
Venus at greatest morning elongation
47° from the Sun — the best morning view of Venus, low in the east before sunrise.

Quick answers

Will it be clear for stargazing in Anchorage tonight?: Cloudy all night; no moonlight (new Moon). That is the hourly total-cloud forecast for Anchorage, United States on the night of 8 October 2026, read inside the darkest hours: under 25% cloud counts as clear and 65% or more as cloudy. Most of the cloud is high and thin, which dims faint objects rather than hiding the sky.
When does it get dark in Anchorage tonight?: In Anchorage, United States on the night of 8 October 2026, astronomical darkness begins at 9:32 PM and lasts until 6:02 AM AKDT — 8 h 29 min of fully dark sky. The Sun sets at 7:08 PM, and nautical twilight ends at 8:41 PM.
Is the Moon up tonight in Anchorage?: On the night of 8 October 2026 in Anchorage, United States, the Moon is a new moon, 2% illuminated. It sets at 6:25 PM and rises at 7:29 AM, AKDT. 8 h 29 min of the dark window is moon-free.
Which planets can I see from Anchorage tonight?: From Anchorage, United States on the night of 8 October 2026: Mars (2:22 AM–6:02 AM, highest 36° in the SE at 6:02 AM, magnitude 1.1); Jupiter (4:02 AM–6:02 AM, highest 25° in the E at 6:02 AM, magnitude -1.9); Saturn (9:32 PM–6:02 AM, highest 31° in the S at 1:32 AM, magnitude 0.2). Times are AKDT; all are visible to the naked eye.

Forecast details

Location: 61.218° N, 149.900° W
Elevation: 31 m
Time zone: America/Anchorage (AKDT)
Weather model: MET Norway Locationforecast 2.0
Forecast issued: 8 Oct, 17:18 UTC
Next update expected: ≈ 8 Oct, 18:55 UTC
Page generated: 8 Oct, 18:23 UTC
Astronomy: Computed with astronomy-engine for these coordinates

Computed for 61.218° N, 149.900° W, elevation 31 m, time zone America/Anchorage. City centres are light-polluted; the times here apply anywhere within about 50 km, so drive out to darker skies.

Sun, Moon and planet positions are calculated with astronomy-engine. Twilight uses the Sun's geometric centre; sunrise and sunset use the upper limb with standard refraction.

The summary line restates the hourly total-cloud forecast inside the dark window (clear under 25%, cloudy from 65%) and the Moon's times. It is not a score — the Tonight score lives in the app.

Seeing and transparency forecasts are coming to the app first (North America via Environment Canada's model, a worldwide beta elsewhere).

Nearby city forecasts

All forecasts in United States Moon phase calendar Telescope FOV calculator

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The Astronight app adds an hourly sky score, the best window, seeing and transparency, and alerts for clear nights.

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