Is tonight
worth the drive?
Most sky apps publish a forecast once and let it age. This check is rebuilt from live provider data on every visit — MET Norway weather, NOAA space weather, current orbital elements — with the provider and update time labelled on the card. No signup required.
Building tonight's forecast decision…
Checking Pro access…
One number, five inputs,
one honest verdict.
The verdict on the card — Go, Worth checking or Wait — is a weighted score built from the factors that actually decide a night: cloud cover (30%), darkness (22%), moon phase and window (18%), transparency (18%) and seeing (12%), minus a drive penalty for distant sites. Every factor is labelled with its source and update time on the card.
Go · 80+
All the main gates are open: clear, dark, moonless and transparent enough for the targets you planned. Head out and re-check on arrival.
Worth checking · 45–79
A real chance, with a caveat — patchy cloud, a rising moon or average transparency. Look at which factor is dragging the score and plan around it.
Wait · below 45
The sky is working against you tonight. Save the drive — the verdict will flip as the providers update, so check again tomorrow.
What Pro unlocks
The free check covers a single spot. Pro turns the same live data into a planning layer: compare your top three nearby sites against current provider forecasts, scan the best night of the week, find clear windows, and export a session brief — so you are choosing between real options, not hoping your one spot clears up. See pricing.
Editorial note
This page was written and reviewed by Sam, founding editor of Darkest Hour. Live inputs: MET Norway (weather, CC-BY 4.0), NOAA SWPC (space weather), current orbital elements (satellites). Darkness values are modelled estimates, not satellite-measured data — the card labels each input's delivery type so you can judge confidence. Editorial standards. Last reviewed 17 Aug 2026.