Milky Way Tonight in Seattle
Tonight's verdict for Seattle, Washington, United States — cloud cover, moonlight, sky darkness and the exact window when the galactic core is high enough to see.
SeattleWashington, United States
NOT A GOOD NIGHT
Clouds, moonlight, or darkness may make viewing difficult.
Darkness from 20:25, but no usable core window tonight.
- Clouds
- 52%Partly cloudy
- Moonlight
- Moderate36% lit
- Darkness
- ExcellentBortle 3
- Weather
- OvercastDry · 12°C
The night, hour by hour
The Milky Way climbs highest close to 6:00 PM — up to 13°.
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
- Clouds will come and go.
- Moderate moonlight (36% lit) may wash out faint detail.
- The sky here is dark enough to see the Milky Way clearly.
- The bright centre of the Milky Way stays below the horizon tonight.
Almanac
| Sunset | 18:45 | |
|---|---|---|
| Darkness begins | 20:25 | astronomical twilight ends |
| Best viewing window | none usable | |
| Galactic core | peaks 13° above the horizon | never usable tonight |
| Moon | 36% · waning crescent | below the horizon all night |
| Sky darkness | Bortle 3 | Rural sky |
| Darkness ends | 05:35 | |
| Sunrise | 07:15 |
Getting somewhere darker
Bortle 1 — unnamed darker area 30 km W of you · you are Bortle 3
Nearest darker sky: Bortle 1, 30 km W.
Weather feed is cached from 05:24 local — live numbers resume on the next refresh. Calculated 09:18 local time · Seattle, Washington, United States
Representative night-sky photograph — not taken at this location.
Milky Way viewing guidance for Seattle
Milky Way visibility questions
Can I see the Milky Way tonight in Seattle?
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 are the cloud and Moon conditions in Seattle tonight?
Cloud cover in the viewing window averages 52%, and the Moon is 36% illuminated, rising during your viewing window.
How dark is the sky in Seattle?
Seattle is in a Bortle 3 area (Rural sky). A darker option — Bortle 1 — is about 30 km W.