Milky Way Tonight in Austin
Tonight's verdict for Austin, Texas, United States — cloud cover, moonlight, sky darkness and the exact window when the galactic core is high enough to see.
AustinTexas, United States
NOT A GOOD NIGHT
Clouds, moonlight, or darkness may make viewing difficult.
Best window 15:15–21:40 local time
- Clouds
- 100%Very cloudy
- Moonlight
- Moderate48% lit
- Darkness
- ExcellentBortle 3
- Weather
- OvercastDry · 23°C
The night, hour by hour
The Milky Way climbs highest close to 6:30 PM — up to 31°.
Next seven nights
Monday night looks like the best night of the week here. Tap a night to redraw everything above.
Why this reading
- Heavy cloud is the main problem tonight.
- The Moon stays out of the way during the viewing window.
- The sky here is dark enough to see the Milky Way clearly.
- The Milky Way is up and usable for about 1.5 hours.
Almanac
| Sunset | 19:15 | |
|---|---|---|
| Darkness begins | 20:35 | astronomical twilight ends |
| Best viewing window | 15:15–21:40 | 1.5 h of usable core |
| Galactic core | peaks 31° above the horizon | usable from 15:15 local |
| Moon | 48% · last quarter | below the horizon all night |
| Sky darkness | Bortle 3 | Rural sky |
| Darkness ends | 06:10 | |
| Sunrise | 07:30 |
Getting somewhere darker
Bortle 1 — unnamed darker area 20 km SE of you · you are Bortle 3
Nearest darker sky: Bortle 1, 20 km SE.
Weather updated 07:19 local. Calculated 08:41 local time · Austin, Texas, United States
Representative night-sky photograph — not taken at this location.
Milky Way viewing guidance for Austin
Milky Way visibility questions
Can I see the Milky Way tonight in Austin?
Not tonight. Heavy cloud cover tonight makes Milky Way viewing effectively impossible — check the next few nights instead. The seven nights ahead are compared on this page.
What time is the Milky Way visible in Austin tonight?
The usable window — galactic core above 15° altitude during darkness, with the Moon not washing it out — runs 15:15–21:40 local time. Outside that window the core is either too low or the sky is too bright.
What are the cloud and Moon conditions in Austin tonight?
Cloud cover in the viewing window averages 100%, and the Moon is 48% illuminated, mostly below the horizon during your window.
How dark is the sky in Austin?
Austin is in a Bortle 3 area (Rural sky). A darker option — Bortle 1 — is about 20 km SE.