0.5 usable nights
0–1 in the middle half of years · 0.1 typically near a dark moon.
351 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
20-year trip-planning baseline
When to plan an observing trip to Youngstown
September: 7.3 usable nights on average. A regional planning baseline, not a forecast for your trip.
Site darkness · modelled, not measured
Bright skyBortle classes describe observed sky conditions; this brightness model does not establish a measured Bortle class.18.8–19.5 mag/arcsec²
The short answer
September has been strongest.
It averages 7.3 usable nights, versus 0.5 in January. A typical September lands between 4 and 10 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
1.2 usable nights
0–2 in the middle half of years · 0.3 typically near a dark moon.
291 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
3.4 usable nights
2–5 in the middle half of years · 0.9 typically near a dark moon.
275 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
2.9 usable nights
2–4 in the middle half of years · 0.8 typically near a dark moon.
223 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
3.8 usable nights
2–5 in the middle half of years · 1.1 typically near a dark moon.
184 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
3.9 usable nights
2–5 in the middle half of years · 1.2 typically near a dark moon.
120 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
5.3 usable nights
4–7 in the middle half of years · 1.1 typically near a dark moon.
163 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
6.5 usable nights
5–7 in the middle half of years · 2.1 typically near a dark moon.
209 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
7.3 usable nights
4–10 in the middle half of years · 2.5 typically near a dark moon.
248 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
5.0 usable nights
3–6 in the middle half of years · 1.9 typically near a dark moon.
305 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
3.5 usable nights
2–5 in the middle half of years · 1.2 typically near a dark moon.
330 astronomical-dark hours in an average month
0.8 usable nights
0–1 in the middle half of years · 0.3 typically near a dark moon.
370 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.