3 active NWS alerts in NebraskaSpecial Weather Statement
Read the alert →

Weather tools · Night sky

Night sky over Nebraska tonight

The Moon, tonight's clouds and the meteor shower calendar: find the best nights for stargazing.

clear sky 53° clear skyNow

Waning gibbousAbout 84% illuminated

Tonight's stargazing score 0/100 Not suitable for stargazing
Average cloud
81%
Chance of rain
100%
Moonrise
9:06 PM
Moonset
12:17 PM

Hourly cloud cover tonight in Nebraska

10% 7pm
43% 8pm
100% 9pm
56% 10pm
100% 11pm
100% 12am
100% 1am
100% 2am
100% 3am
100% 4am

The lower the bar, the clearer the sky. Pick the least cloudy hours, stay away from street lights and give your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the dark.

Moon phase for the next 8 nights

Today Oct 29 Waning gibbous Rises 9:06 PM · Cloud 0%
Tomorrow Oct 30 Waning gibbous Rises 10:18 PM · Cloud 100%
Sat Oct 31 Waning gibbous Rises 11:34 PM · Cloud 95%
Sun Nov 1 Last quarter Rises 11:49 PM · Cloud 100%
Mon Nov 2 Waning crescent Rises – · Cloud 98%
Tue Nov 3 Waning crescent Rises 1:01 AM · Cloud 100%
Wed Nov 4 Waning crescent Rises 2:11 AM · Cloud 94%
Thu Nov 5 Waning crescent Rises 3:18 AM · Cloud 0%

Meteor shower calendar

Every year
Next meteor shower Leonids

Peaks on the night of Nov 17–18 · about 15 meteors/hour under ideal skies · Leo, before dawn.

Peak night: waxing gibbous (60% illuminated), so dark skies should make for good viewing.

19days to go
Meteor showerPeakMeteors/hrWhere to look
QuadrantidsJan 3–4110Boötes, before dawn
LyridsApr 22–2318Lyra, after midnight
Eta AquariidsMay 5–650Aquarius, before dawn
PerseidsAug 12–13100Perseus, after 11 PM
OrionidsOct 21–2220Orion, after midnight
LeonidsNov 17–1815Leo, before dawn
GeminidsDec 13–14150Gemini, all night
UrsidsDec 22–2310Ursa Minor, before dawn

Peak dates can shift by a day from year to year. The meteors-per-hour figure (ZHR) assumes perfectly dark skies; in cities you will usually see only a small fraction.

Stargazing tips for Nebraska

  • Choose a night near the new moon, or wait until the Moon has set, with cloud cover below 30%.
  • Head away from built-up areas to hills, highlands or a beach with few lights.
  • No telescope needed: meteor showers are best seen with the naked eye, which takes in the whole sky.
  • Bring insect repellent and a light jacket; dim your phone screen or switch to red-light mode so your eyes stay dark-adapted.