GoodSeeing Guides
Home › Locations › Culpeper
Tonight · Sat, 10 October 2026

Culpeper stargazing forecast tonight

Hourly clear-sky conditions for observing: cloud by layer, transparency, estimated seeing, moonlight and true astronomical darkness.

38.473°N 77.997°W ·128 m ·Virginia, United States

NearbyCentrevilleCharlottesvilleHarrisonburgViennaMore nearby
4
/100
Not worth it conditions
at peak

Cloud or fog is the strongest score limit at the best sampled time.

Site darkness · peer measure
Brightened skyNot multiplied into the conditions score
20.4–21.0 mag/arcsec²

The score describes tonight’s conditions. Site darkness helps you choose what to observe.

See target outlook ↓Planet observing times →
Best months at Culpeper, Virginia →Moonless nights →
Tonight in context · local sky & season

October historically: 10.3 qualifying nights/month on average (2005–2024). Regional cloud and darkness history, not tonight’s probability or a comparison with the conditions score.

A qualifying historical night has at least 3 hours of astronomical darkness and mean nighttime cloud ≤30%. This does not measure steady air or target visibility. Seasonal history →

Saturn: about 8.7h above 20° during this observing night’s darkness. Longest sampled dark-time opportunity among our four planet targets; not a weather ranking. Planet times →

Position calculations use roughly 20-minute samples. Clouds, skyglow and local obstructions still matter. Milky Way timing →

Best window
None tonight
Window quality
—
Astronomical dark
21:00 – 06:00
Moon
New moon, 1%
Transparency at peak
0.12
Seeing at peak (est.)
0.79
Visual limit (modelled)
4.5–6.0 mag
Tonight's limiting factor
Thin high cloud

99% high cirrus. Visual observers shrug it off; long exposures integrate it. What this means →

Also limiting: Transparency. See the guide →

The night, hour by hour

Colour = score · Luminance = everything else
Sky state
Shaded = daylight and twilight  ·  unshaded = astronomical dark
2
4
4
2
3
3
3
Score
Low cloud
20%
16%
8%
0%
41%
1%
2%
3%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
Mid cloud
88%
100%
92%
95%
98%
100%
98%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
High cloud
99%
98%
99%
98%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
Transparency
0.10
0.11
0.12
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
Seeing
0.95
0.82
0.79
0.83
0.86
0.81
0.76
0.70
0.69
0.73
0.80
0.82
0.83
Moon clear
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
19
20
21
22
23
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
Inspect

Cloud tracks show clear sky — a longer bar is better. The figure inside each track is the raw measurement.

Score inspectorWhy this hour scored what it did Open peakClose
21 Not worth it · 4/100
Starting from
100
Cloud
−93
Transparency
−3
Seeing
−0
Moonlight
−0
Darkness
−0
Score
4
CLOUD 100% LOW 8% MID 92% HIGH 99% SUN -27.7° MOON -28.1° / 0% WIND 4 TEMP 15°
Excellent 75+ Good 55+ Fair 35+ Poor 15+ Not worth it Seeing is estimated from surface wind — see how we score.
Tonight is for planning

The sky is staying closed.

None of the five observing modes reaches a reliable setup window. Skip the empty charts and use tonight to make the next clear session easier.

Cloud stays at 100% or moreTransparency peaks at 0.12
Make the next clear night easier

Three useful moves, no dead chart.

The forecast detail above remains available when you need the measurements. These are the useful next decisions.

Scan the next seven nights → Read cloud by layer → Use tonight for equipment prep →
Remember what you observe

Your target still carries into clear-night recommendations and future alert rules.

Deep-sky visual is your current default.

A darker option

Cherry Springs State Park

355 km away · Threatened dark sky · 21.6–21.8 mag/arcsec²

25conditions tonight
See the trade-off →

The next week of nights

Tonight · 10 Oct
4
Not worth it

Cloud or fog is the strongest score limit at the best sampled time.

MOON 1%
Tomorrow · 11 Oct
23
Poor

Cloud or fog is the strongest score limit at the best sampled time.

MOON 3%
Monday · 12 Oct
64
Good
MOON 6%
20:00–02:00
Tuesday · 13 Oct
68
Good
MOON 13%
02:00–03:00
Wednesday · 14 Oct
34
Poor

Cloud or fog is the strongest score limit at the best sampled time.

MOON 21%
Thursday · 15 Oct
78
Excellent
MOON 29%
20:00–21:00
Friday · 16 Oct
74
Good
MOON 37%
02:00–03:00

Open a night for its forecast times. Later forecasts may have wider time steps; missing hours are not interpolated.

Tonight · 10 Oct · forecast times
Sky state
Shaded = daylight and twilight  ·  unshaded = astronomical dark
2
4
4
2
3
3
3
Score
Low cloud
20%
16%
8%
0%
41%
1%
2%
3%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
Mid cloud
88%
100%
92%
95%
98%
100%
98%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
High cloud
99%
98%
99%
98%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
Transparency
0.10
0.11
0.12
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
Seeing
0.95
0.82
0.79
0.83
0.86
0.81
0.76
0.70
0.69
0.73
0.80
0.82
0.83
Moon clear
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
19
20
21
22
23
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07

Cloud tracks show clear sky — a longer bar is better. The figure inside each track is the raw measurement.

Tomorrow · 11 Oct · forecast times
Sky state
Shaded = daylight and twilight  ·  unshaded = astronomical dark
9
23
19
14
Score
Low cloud
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
99%
80%
41%
40%
55%
50%
Mid cloud
56%
45%
20%
2%
1%
0%
0%
27%
25%
38%
56%
44%
31%
High cloud
3%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
5%
86%
Transparency
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
Seeing
0.87
0.98
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.97
0.95
0.87
0.80
0.80
0.85
0.77
0.75
Moon clear
2%
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
19
20
21
22
23
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07

Cloud tracks show clear sky — a longer bar is better. The figure inside each track is the raw measurement.

Monday · 12 Oct · forecast times
Sky state
Shaded = daylight and twilight  ·  unshaded = astronomical dark
59
64
54
51
52
51
8
Score
Low cloud
16%
6%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
61%
0%
Mid cloud
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
High cloud
1%
1%
18%
39%
42%
34%
38%
27%
0%
Transparency
0.31
0.30
0.31
0.27
0.19
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
Seeing
0.97
0.95
0.90
0.91
0.96
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
Moon clear
6%
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
down
19
20
21
22
23
00
01
02
08

Cloud tracks show clear sky — a longer bar is better. The figure inside each track is the raw measurement.

Tuesday · 13 Oct · forecast times
Sky state
Shaded = daylight and twilight  ·  unshaded = astronomical dark
57
68
Score
Low cloud
0%
0%
0%
0%
Mid cloud
0%
13%
0%
0%
High cloud
0%
0%
0%
0%
Transparency
0.69
0.35
0.19
0.18
Seeing
0.76
0.81
1.00
1.00
Moon clear
10%
12%
down
down
14
20
02
08

Cloud tracks show clear sky — a longer bar is better. The figure inside each track is the raw measurement.

Wednesday · 14 Oct · forecast times
Sky state
Shaded = daylight and twilight  ·  unshaded = astronomical dark
13
34
Score
Low cloud
41%
4%
23%
2%
Mid cloud
0%
84%
20%
0%
High cloud
6%
6%
22%
9%
Transparency
0.69
0.11
0.10
0.34
Seeing
0.98
1.00
0.77
0.73
Moon clear
17%
19%
down
down
14
20
02
08

Cloud tracks show clear sky — a longer bar is better. The figure inside each track is the raw measurement.

Thursday · 15 Oct · forecast times
Sky state
Shaded = daylight and twilight  ·  unshaded = astronomical dark
78
52
Score
Low cloud
6%
0%
0%
0%
Mid cloud
0%
0%
0%
100%
High cloud
0%
0%
41%
99%
Transparency
0.77
0.61
0.19
0.16
Seeing
0.76
0.93
1.00
1.00
Moon clear
24%
27%
down
down
14
20
02
08

Cloud tracks show clear sky — a longer bar is better. The figure inside each track is the raw measurement.

Friday · 16 Oct · forecast times
Sky state
Shaded = daylight and twilight  ·  unshaded = astronomical dark
39
74
Score
Low cloud
0%
0%
10%
7%
Mid cloud
8%
0%
0%
0%
High cloud
74%
74%
0%
0%
Transparency
0.65
0.25
0.69
0.67
Seeing
0.73
0.94
0.76
0.69
Moon clear
33%
35%
down
down
14
20
02
08

Cloud tracks show clear sky — a longer bar is better. The figure inside each track is the raw measurement.

Planning a trip?

Compare the next eight weekends → · Best months to visit → · Moonless nights →

More nearby locations 8 options · openclose

About this forecast

Exact-coordinate weather, sky geometry and site context.

Full method →20-year baseline →
Sources and scoring details openclose

Conditions for Culpeper, Virginia, United States are computed from the MET Norway forecast model for these exact coordinates, combined with sun and moon positions we calculate directly. The score weighs cloud cover by layer, atmospheric transparency, estimated seeing, moonlight and astronomical twilight. Site darkness is shown separately, then used only where artificial skyglow physically changes moon contrast, haze scattering, visual limits and target suitability.