Stargazing in Washington Heights tonight

United States · 40.85°, -73.94°

Stargazing verdict · tonight

Fair

Fair — stars visible, but not the best conditions.

›A bright waxing gibbous (78% lit) will wash out fainter stars.
›About 9 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

Mon 21 Sept, 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

Waxing Gibbous

78% lit

🌑 Darkness

20:26–05:11

9h of dark

🌇 Sun

sets 18:54

rises 06:43

🌙 Moon rise/set

up 16:33

down 02:12

Planets visible tonight

♂ Mars

Best early hours · toward the E · 41° up

♃ Jupiter

Best early hours · toward the E · 21° up

♄ Saturn

Best most of the night · toward the S · 50° 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.

Tue 22 Sept

22 Sept

80% moon

Wed 23 Sept

23 Sept

87% moon

Thu 24 Sept

24 Sept

93% moon

Fri 25 Sept

25 Sept

97% moon

Sat 26 Sept

26 Sept

100% moon

Sun 27 Sept

27 Sept

100% moon

Mon 28 Sept

28 Sept

97% moon

Tue 29 Sept

29 Sept

92% moon

Wed 30 Sept

30 Sept

85% moon

Thu 1 Oct

1 Oct

76% moon

Fri 2 Oct

2 Oct

65% moon

Sat 3 Oct

3 Oct

54% moon

Sun 4 Oct

4 Oct

43% moon

Mon 5 Oct

5 Oct

32% 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

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.

17 November · lesser-known

Leonid meteor shower

The Leonids peak around 17 November at ~15 fast meteors an hour. Famous for rare, spectacular storms every ~33 years; 2026 is a normal year, but still a pleasant pre-dawn watch.

Moon phase for Washington Heights →All sky events

Stargazing in Washington Heights — FAQ

Is tonight good for stargazing in Washington Heights?

Fair — stars visible, but not the best conditions. A bright waxing gibbous (78% lit) will wash out fainter stars. Check the live cloud forecast above, which updates through the day.

What planets are visible from Washington Heights tonight?

Tonight you can spot Mars, Jupiter, 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 Mon 5 Oct, when the Moon is only 32% 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.