Stargazing in Newark, NJ

Local time 7:49 am EST 40.72° N, 74.17° W Forecast: National Weather Service
Location reference: Newark, New Jersey

United States · America/New_York · 40.7242, -74.1726

Use this city or town reference for local sky planning. Check access, light pollution and the horizon at your chosen observing site.

Tonight in Newark

A solid night for stargazing

Good
74of 100

A solid night for stargazing. Cloud cover averages 29% over the dark window, with about 8.4 hours of moonless darkness.

Best window 2:00 am – 5:00 am

Dark6:14 pm – 5:08 am
Cloud29%
Moon29% lit
Astronomical darkness10 hr 55 minAstronomical
Moonless darkness8 hr 23 min71% unlit
Feels like36°FWind 10 mph
Forecast retrieved2:25 amData: National Weather Service

Tonight's reasoning

Every point accounted for
  • positiveMostly workable skies: 29% average cloud cover.
  • positiveA long 10.9-hour night of astronomical darkness.
  • neutralThe Moon is 29% lit and above the horizon for 2 h 32 min, leaving 8 h 23 min moonless.

See how the score is weighted →

Cloud samples through the observing night

Mostly clear

Forecast samples are 60 minutes apart at the coarsest point shown. Missing values are not clear skies. Coarse or incomplete data does not produce a detailed observing recommendation.

Read the forecast samples as a table
Local timeCloudTemperatureWind
Sat 19:00 EST74%44°F9 mph
Sat 20:00 EST61%43°F10 mph
Sat 21:00 EST53%43°F10 mph
Sat 22:00 EST46%43°F10 mph
Sat 23:00 EST34%43°F10 mph
Sun 00:00 EST9%42°F9 mph
Sun 01:00 EST10%42°F9 mph
Sun 02:00 EST9%41°F10 mph
Sun 03:00 EST3%41°F10 mph
Sun 04:00 EST8%39°F10 mph
Sun 05:00 EST13%39°F10 mph

Planets from dusk to dawn

Sun at least 6° below the horizon
Mars well placed · SSE · 63° · 5:45 am
Jupiter well placed · SSE · 62° · 5:45 am
Saturn well placed · S · 50° · 9:01 pm
Venus low in the sky · ESE · 16° · 5:45 am
Mercury Below a useful altitude

These are geometric opportunities in evening, night or morning twilight, subject to weather. We require an altitude of at least 10°. Terrain and buildings can block the view.

Stars to find by eye

No telescope required
Capella · above 15° Auriga · ENE · 68°

A golden star in the constellation Auriga. Use the listed direction and altitude for this location.

Betelgeuse · above 15° Orion · ESE · 42°

The orange shoulder of Orion. Look below it for three stars in a short, straight line.

Polaris · above 15° Ursa Minor · N · 41°

Find the two stars at the end of the Big Dipper bowl; follow that line north. Polaris sits almost still while the sky turns.

Deneb · above 15° Cygnus · NW · 22°

The tail of Cygnus the Swan and the faintest corner of the Summer Triangle.

The next 7 nights

Full month →

Moon and darkness use local astronomical calculations. Weather becomes less reliable further out. Scores are withheld for old, incomplete or coarse forecasts.

Do not drive out on a hunch

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About this forecast

Astronomy is calculated for Newark at 40.7242° N, 74.1726° W. Weather comes from National Weather Service. A city forecast cannot resolve every mountain, fog bank or nearby floodlight. Calculated times use a modelled horizon and are approximate.

Provider issue time: Sat, Nov 14 · 2:03 am. Sources and forecast limitations.

Astronomy model 2026.10.3 · Scoring methodology · Privacy