1.7 usable nights
1–2 in the middle half of years · 0.7 typically near a dark moon.
350 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
20-year trip-planning baseline
Best time to stargaze at Fishers
September: 12.1 usable nights on average. Use this seasonal climate baseline to choose a month, then use the live forecast to choose a night.
Site darkness · modelled, not measured
Bright skyBortle classes describe observed sky conditions; this brightness model does not establish a measured Bortle class.18.5–19.2 mag/arcsec²
The short answer
September has been strongest.
It averages 12.1 usable nights, versus 1.7 in January. A typical September lands between 11 and 14 usable nights.
Record2005–2024 · 20 complete years
Usable nightAt least 3 astronomical-dark hours and NASA POWER nighttime cloud ≤30%
Dark-moon nightUsable night with ≤25% illumination at local solar midnight
ResolutionCERES SYN1deg 1° cloud grid; regional climate, not a campsite guarantee
Seasonal fingerprint
Usable nights by month
Month by month
2.5 usable nights
1–4 in the middle half of years · 0.9 typically near a dark moon.
291 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
5.3 usable nights
3–7 in the middle half of years · 1.3 typically near a dark moon.
277 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
4.9 usable nights
3–7 in the middle half of years · 1.3 typically near a dark moon.
228 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
5.8 usable nights
4–7 in the middle half of years · 1.9 typically near a dark moon.
186 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
8.2 usable nights
5–11 in the middle half of years · 2.5 typically near a dark moon.
144 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
10.6 usable nights
10–12 in the middle half of years · 2.8 typically near a dark moon.
177 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
11.1 usable nights
10–12 in the middle half of years · 3.9 typically near a dark moon.
214 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
12.1 usable nights
11–14 in the middle half of years · 4.9 typically near a dark moon.
249 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
8.5 usable nights
6–10 in the middle half of years · 2.4 typically near a dark moon.
306 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
6.4 usable nights
5–8 in the middle half of years · 2.5 typically near a dark moon.
329 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
2.0 usable nights
1–2 in the middle half of years · 0.6 typically near a dark moon.
368 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
Use the baseline honestly
Climate chooses the month. Forecasts choose the night.
The cloud product is a roughly 1° regional grid. It can reveal seasonality, but it cannot know a mountain ridge, valley fog pocket, locked gate, smoke event or the exact sky you will get.
Source: NASA POWER daily data, parameter CLOUD_AMT_NIGHT from the CERES SYN1deg cloud product. GoodSeeing calculates astronomical darkness and lunar illumination independently for each place.