Milky Way Tonight in Boulder
Tonight's verdict for Boulder, Colorado, United States — cloud cover, moonlight, sky darkness and the exact window when the galactic core is high enough to see.
BoulderColorado, United States
NOT A GOOD NIGHT
Clouds, moonlight, or darkness may make viewing difficult.
Best window 15:50–20:05 local time
- Clouds
- 0%Very clear
- Moonlight
- Moderate48% lit
- Darkness
- ExcellentBortle 3
- Weather
- Clear skiesDry · 19°C
The night, hour by hour
The Milky Way climbs highest close to 6:00 PM — up to 21°.
Next seven nights
No strong night in the week ahead — the bars show how each night compares. Tap a night to redraw everything above.
Why this reading
- Almost no clouds are forecast.
- 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 only briefly visible tonight.
Almanac
| Sunset | 18:40 | |
|---|---|---|
| Darkness begins | 20:10 | astronomical twilight ends |
| Best viewing window | 15:50–20:05 | 0.4 h of usable core |
| Galactic core | peaks 21° above the horizon | usable from 15:50 local |
| Moon | 48% · last quarter | up from 00:00 to 15:00 |
| Sky darkness | Bortle 3 | Rural sky |
| Darkness ends | 05:30 | |
| Sunrise | 07:00 |
Getting somewhere darker
Bortle 1 — unnamed darker area 5 km N of you · you are Bortle 3
Nearest darker sky: Bortle 1, 5 km N.
Weather updated 06:25 local. Calculated 07:40 local time · Boulder, Colorado, United States
Representative night-sky photograph — not taken at this location.
Milky Way viewing guidance for Boulder
Milky Way visibility questions
Can I see the Milky Way tonight in Boulder?
Not tonight. The bright galactic core stays below a usable altitude tonight — this is the wrong part of the year for Milky Way viewing from here. The seven nights ahead are compared on this page.
What time is the Milky Way visible in Boulder tonight?
The usable window — galactic core above 15° altitude during darkness, with the Moon not washing it out — runs 15:50–20:05 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 Boulder tonight?
Cloud cover in the viewing window averages 0%, and the Moon is 48% illuminated, mostly below the horizon during your window.
How dark is the sky in Boulder?
Boulder is in a Bortle 3 area (Rural sky). A darker option — Bortle 1 — is about 5 km N.