Stargazing in Washington Heights tonight

United States · 40.85°, -73.94°

Stargazing verdict · tonight

Good

Good — worth heading out if skies are clear.

›A first quarter (48% lit) only mildly brightens the sky.
›About 7 hours of true darkness to work with.

Your sky map — scrub through time

A live map of the sky above Washington Heights: the Moon, planets, bright stars and constellations, exactly where they are. Drag the sliders to move through the night — or forward and back by days — and watch everything shift.

The sky over Washington Heights

Wed 19 Aug, 22:00 · looking up — N at top, E to the left

Day

Time of night22:00

Drag the sliders to travel through time — watch the Moon, planets and constellations rise, set and shift. Positions are computed live for Washington Heights.

Tonight's sky in Washington Heights

🌓 Moon

First Quarter

48% lit

🌑 Darkness

21:29–04:29

7h of dark

🌇 Sun

sets 19:48

rises 06:10

🌙 Moon rise/set

up 13:47

down 23:02

Planets visible tonight

♂ Mars

Best early hours · toward the E · 27° up

♄ Saturn

Best early hours · toward the S · 52° up

Best nights to stargaze — next two weeks

Ranked by how dark the sky will be (less Moon = better). Pair with a clear-sky forecast on the night.

Thu 20 Aug

20 Aug

51% moon

Fri 21 Aug

21 Aug

60% moon

Sat 22 Aug

22 Aug

70% moon

Sun 23 Aug

23 Aug

78% moon

Mon 24 Aug

24 Aug

85% moon

Tue 25 Aug

25 Aug

91% moon

Wed 26 Aug

26 Aug

96% moon

Thu 27 Aug

27 Aug

99% moon

Fri 28 Aug

28 Aug

100% moon

Sat 29 Aug

29 Aug

99% moon

Sun 30 Aug

30 Aug

96% moon

Mon 31 Aug

31 Aug

90% moon

Tue 1 Sept

1 Sept

82% moon

Wed 2 Sept

2 Sept

73% moon

The 12 August 2026 solar eclipse from Washington Heights

From Washington Heights this is a partial eclipse — about 10% of the Sun is covered at maximum, around 13:53 local time. Partial phases begin ~13:07 and end ~14:38.

⚠︎ Never look at the partial phase without certified solar-eclipse glasses.

Full 2026 eclipse guide →

Upcoming sky events from Washington Heights

28 August

Partial lunar eclipse

A partial lunar eclipse on 28 August, with part of the full Moon dimming and reddening as it enters Earth's shadow. Visible from the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia depending on your local moonrise/moonset.

4 October

Saturn at opposition

Saturn reaches opposition on 4 October — directly opposite the Sun, so it rises at sunset, sets at sunrise and is at its biggest and brightest of the year. The best night to catch the rings through even a small telescope.

26 September · lesser-known

Neptune at opposition

The most distant planet reaches opposition on 26 September — its brightest for the year, though still faint. A rewarding challenge target: Neptune shows as a tiny blue-grey disc through a telescope. One for the keen.

14 December

Geminid meteor shower

Widely considered the best shower of the year: slow, bright, often colourful meteors at up to ~150 per hour under dark skies. In 2026 the Moon is only a young crescent at the 13–14 December peak, so conditions are excellent.

21 October · lesser-known

Orionid meteor shower

Fast, faint meteors — debris from Halley's Comet — peaking around 21 October at ~20 per hour. A quieter, connoisseur's shower; moonlight hampers the 2026 peak, so aim for the darkest hours.

Moon phase for Washington Heights →All sky events

Stargazing in Washington Heights — FAQ

Is tonight good for stargazing in Washington Heights?

Good — worth heading out if skies are clear. A first quarter (48% lit) only mildly brightens the sky. Check the live cloud forecast above, which updates through the day.

What planets are visible from Washington Heights tonight?

Tonight you can spot Mars, Saturn above the horizon from Washington Heights, conditions permitting.

When is the best night to stargaze in Washington Heights soon?

The darkest upcoming night is around Thu 20 Aug, when the Moon is only 51% lit.

Times are local to Washington Heights (America/New_York). Astronomical data is computed from established models; the cloud forecast is live from Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day. Always confirm with a live forecast before travelling to a dark-sky site.