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Tonight · Sat, 10 October 2026

Kerry Dark Sky Reserve stargazing forecast tonight

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

51.817°N 10.183°W ·50 m ·Ireland

NearbyGalway
3
/100
Not worth it conditions
at peak

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

Site darkness · peer measure
Natural-dark skyNot multiplied into the conditions score
21.7–21.8 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 Kerry Dark Sky Reserve, Ireland →Moonless nights →
Tonight in context · local sky & season

October historically: 1.4 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 8.0h 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 – 07:00
Moon
New moon, 1%
Transparency at peak
0.52
Seeing at peak (est.)
0.81
Visual limit (modelled)
5.5–7.0 mag
Tonight's limiting factor
Thin high cloud

100% high cirrus. Visual observers shrug it off; long exposures integrate it. What this means →

Also limiting: Low cloud. See the guide →

The night, hour by hour

Colour = score · Luminance = everything else
Sky state
Shaded = daylight and twilight  ·  unshaded = astronomical dark
5
2
3
3
2
2
2
1
Score
Low cloud
73%
55%
100%
100%
100%
91%
9%
2%
14%
7%
8%
59%
96%
100%
Mid cloud
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
38%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
High cloud
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
93%
2%
48%
Transparency
0.54
0.52
0.51
0.52
0.53
0.53
0.53
0.21
0.18
0.11
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
Seeing
0.75
0.81
0.88
0.92
0.83
0.77
0.69
0.57
0.46
0.34
0.24
0.16
0.15
0.15
Moon clear
down
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
08
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
20 Not worth it · 5/100
Starting from
100
Cloud
−80
Transparency
−4
Seeing
−1
Moonlight
−0
Darkness
−10
Score
5
CLOUD 100% LOW 55% MID 0% HIGH 100% SUN -10.2° MOON -12.9° / 0% WIND 4 TEMP 12°
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 0.52
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

Isle of Coll

583 km away · Natural-dark sky · 21.9–21.9 mag/arcsec²

34conditions tonight
See the trade-off →
Latest verified night · 2026-10-08

Prediction, meet observation.

All comparisons →
8 matches2 discrepanciesSatellite saw 17.5 points less cloud.
EUMETSAT cloud mask · ~12h reference2 of 10 sampled hours diverged.Cloud only · 10 astronomically dark hours

Recent cloud comparisons · 30 recorded nights →

The next week of nights

Tonight · 10 Oct
3
Not worth it

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

MOON 0%
Tomorrow · 11 Oct
19
Poor

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

MOON 2%
Monday · 12 Oct
44
Fair
MOON 6%
06:00–07:00
Tuesday · 13 Oct
29
Poor

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

MOON 12%
Wednesday · 14 Oct
1
Not worth it

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

MOON 19%
Thursday · 15 Oct
25
Poor

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

MOON 27%
Friday · 16 Oct
62
Good
MOON 35%
01:00–02:00

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
5
2
3
3
2
2
2
1
Score
Low cloud
73%
55%
100%
100%
100%
91%
9%
2%
14%
7%
8%
59%
96%
100%
Mid cloud
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
38%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
High cloud
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
93%
2%
48%
Transparency
0.54
0.52
0.51
0.52
0.53
0.53
0.53
0.21
0.18
0.11
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
Seeing
0.75
0.81
0.88
0.92
0.83
0.77
0.69
0.57
0.46
0.34
0.24
0.16
0.15
0.15
Moon clear
down
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
08

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
5
3
19
11
2
8
1
Score
Low cloud
100%
100%
100%
100%
84%
94%
27%
27%
98%
70%
95%
66%
21%
33%
Mid cloud
4%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
21%
73%
100%
100%
95%
20%
99%
100%
High cloud
100%
60%
93%
87%
84%
45%
87%
62%
88%
26%
83%
95%
99%
100%
Transparency
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.20
0.20
0.21
0.24
0.26
0.27
0.24
0.21
0.21
0.21
Seeing
0.55
0.50
0.48
0.50
0.53
0.55
0.55
0.71
0.73
0.85
0.79
0.64
0.58
0.47
Moon clear
down
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
08

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
1
2
3
3
13
43
3
11
21
44
20
Score
Low cloud
100%
100%
75%
7%
1%
0%
2%
16%
86%
58%
59%
11%
4%
Mid cloud
41%
98%
100%
100%
100%
100%
62%
20%
63%
54%
6%
13%
1%
High cloud
0%
2%
1%
98%
97%
100%
98%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Transparency
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.10
0.26
0.30
0.10
0.10
0.23
0.27
0.36
Seeing
0.30
0.38
0.37
0.62
0.74
0.79
0.76
0.49
0.27
0.26
0.16
0.15
0.15
Moon clear
5%
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.

Tuesday · 13 Oct · forecast times
Sky state
Shaded = daylight and twilight  ·  unshaded = astronomical dark
29
9
Score
Low cloud
16%
17%
21%
Mid cloud
0%
0%
0%
High cloud
94%
91%
98%
Transparency
0.55
0.44
0.39
Seeing
0.67
0.60
0.37
Moon clear
10%
down
down
19
01
07

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
1
Score
Low cloud
98%
91%
100%
Mid cloud
6%
65%
89%
High cloud
100%
100%
100%
Transparency
0.31
0.32
0.24
Seeing
0.15
0.15
0.57
Moon clear
17%
down
down
19
01
07

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
25
22
Score
Low cloud
22%
46%
20%
Mid cloud
28%
33%
9%
High cloud
0%
0%
0%
Transparency
0.59
0.39
0.51
Seeing
0.60
0.53
0.60
Moon clear
24%
down
down
19
01
07

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
62
23
Score
Low cloud
10%
16%
23%
Mid cloud
6%
1%
2%
High cloud
0%
0%
0%
Transparency
0.52
0.43
0.26
Seeing
0.68
0.81
0.92
Moon clear
33%
down
down
19
01
07

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 →

About this forecast

Exact-coordinate weather, sky geometry and site context.

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

Conditions for Kerry Dark Sky Reserve, Ireland 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.