Will it be clear for stargazing in Sydney tonight?

Best clear spell 12:00 AM–3:00 AM; the Moon (50% lit) rises at 1:17 AM. That is the hourly total-cloud forecast for Sydney, Australia on the night of 3 October 2026, read inside the darkest hours: under 25% cloud counts as clear and 65% or more as cloudy. Rain or showers possible around 10:00 PM.

When does it get dark in Sydney tonight?

In Sydney, Australia on the night of 3 October 2026, astronomical darkness begins at 7:23 PM and lasts until 5:04 AM GMT+10 — 8 h 41 min of fully dark sky. The Sun sets at 5:59 PM, and nautical twilight ends at 6:53 PM.

Is the Moon up tonight in Sydney?

On the night of 3 October 2026 in Sydney, Australia, the Moon is a last quarter, 50% illuminated. It rises at 1:17 AM and sets at 12:04 PM, GMT+10. 5 h 55 min of the dark window is moon-free.

Which planets can I see from Sydney tonight?

From Sydney, Australia on the night of 3 October 2026: Venus (7:23 PM–7:23 PM, highest 11° in the W at 7:23 PM, magnitude -4.7); Mars (4:23 AM–5:04 AM, highest 17° in the NE at 5:04 AM, magnitude 1.1); Saturn (7:23 PM–5:04 AM, highest 54° in the N at 11:53 PM, magnitude 0.2). Times are GMT+10; all are visible to the naked eye.

Stargazing forecast

Stargazing forecast for Sydney, New South Wales

Sat 3 Oct night
33.868° S, 151.207° E
58 m
GMT+10 · Australia/Sydney

Open the live forecast — sky score, seeing, 7 nights

Tonight at a glance

Best clear spell 12:00 AM–3:00 AM; the Moon (50% lit) rises at 1:17 AM.

Rain or showers possible around 10:00 PM.
Dew risk: the temperature comes within 2 °C (3.6 °F) of the dew point by 7:00 PM — optics may fog without a dew heater.

Updated 9:53 AM GMT+10 (2 Oct, 23:53 UTC) · MET Norway forecast issued 2 Oct, 19:18 UTC

Cloud cover: 48%Partly cloudy
Dark hours: 8 h 41 min7:23 PM–5:04 AM
Moon: 50%5 h 55 min moon-free
Wind: 17 km/hLight
Low temperature: 15°CDuring the dark hours
Dew risk: HighAir comes within 0° of the dew point

Photo: Milky Way over Paranal — ESO/A. Ghizzi Panizza (www.albertoghizzipanizza.com), CC BY 4.0

Hourly forecast

Cloud by layer, hour by hour. Darker blue means clearer sky; each cell shows its percentage. Low cloud blocks the sky outright; thin high cloud only dims it.

Hourly cloud cover (%) and conditions tonight in Sydney
GMT+10	Sat 3									Sun 4																							Mon 5
Hour	3p	4p	5p	6p	7p	8p	9p	10p	11p	12a	1a	3a	4a	5a	6a	7a	8a	9a	10a	11a	12p	1p	2p	3p	4p	5p	6p	7p	8p	9p	10p	11p	12a	1a	2a	3a	4a	5a	6a	7a
Sky: Daylight 3p–6p, Nautical twilight 6p–7p, Dark 7p–5a, Astronomical twilight 5a–6a, Daylight 6a–7p, Nautical twilight 7p–8p, Dark 8p–5a, Astronomical twilight 5a–6a, Daylight 6a–8a
Total cloud	38	55	66	82	40	45	53	82	47	20	20	35	63	80	82	72	13	1	0	0	0	0	4	6	8	4	23	45	32	35	56	38	41	91	92	85	82	96	99	100
Low cloud	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	15	19	35	63	80	82	72	13	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	15	35	37	31	71	4	6	7	25	36
Mid cloud	32	47	59	67	39	43	38	63	45	11	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	7	4	3	7	17	19	32	6	9	2	1	0	11	3	27	15
High cloud	9	17	31	45	1	25	25	51	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	21	41	18	15	25	1	2	86	77	85	81	95	99	100
Sun & Moon
Temperature °C	21	21	21	20	20	19	19	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	15	14	15	17	19	20	21	22	22	20	19	19	19	18	18	18	17	17	17	16	16	15	15	15	15	15
Dew point °C; dew risk (within 2° of the dew point): 7p, 8p, 9p, 10p, 11p, 12a, 1a, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 8a, 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a	17	17	17	18	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	15	15	14	14	13	13	12	12	11	11	12	13	13	14	14	14	14	14	15	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14	14
Wind km/h	45	46	44	27	23	22	27	20	14	12	10	11	13	18	20	21	21	19	20	17	14	9	22	26	25	26	28	23	17	12	10	10	6	6	10	12	12	12	12	11
Rain (mm)	0	0	0.8	0.5	0	0	0	0.4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Cloud cover0–9%10–24%25–44%45–64%65–84%85–100%

SkyDaylightCivil twilightNautical twilightAstronomical twilightDark

Sun altitudeMoon altitude12dew risk (within 2° of the dew point)Scroll sideways for the next 40 hours →

Weather data: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0)

Next 7 nights

Average cloud during each night's dark hours, with the Moon. The first two to three nights use hourly data; later nights use MET Norway's 6-hourly steps and are less certain.

Tonight3 Oct
48%Partly cloudy
50% · 5 h 50 min moon-free
7:23 PM–5:04 AM
Sun4 Oct
65%Partly cloudy
39% · 6 h 40 min moon-free
8:24 PM–5:02 AM
Mon5 Oct
99%Cloudy
28% · 7 h 20 min moon-free
8:25 PM–5:01 AM
6-hourly data
Tue6 Oct
53%Partly cloudy
19% · 7 h 50 min moon-free
8:26 PM–4:59 AM
6-hourly data
Wed7 Oct
73%Cloudy
11% · 8 h 20 min moon-free
8:27 PM–4:58 AM
6-hourly data
Thu8 Oct
2%Clear
5% · 8 h 29 min moon-free
8:28 PM–4:56 AM
6-hourly data
Fri9 Oct
31%Partly cloudy
1% · 8 h 26 min moon-free
8:29 PM–4:55 AM
6-hourly data

Sun & twilight

Twilight ends in three steps. Faint galaxies and the Milky Way need astronomical darkness, when the Sun is more than 18° below the horizon.

Sunset: 5:59 PM
Civil dusk (−6°): 6:24 PM
Nautical dusk (−12°): 6:53 PM
Astronomical dusk (−18°): 7:23 PM
Astronomical dawn (−18°): 5:04 AM
Nautical dawn (−12°): 5:34 AM
Civil dawn (−6°): 6:03 AM
Sunrise: 6:28 AM

Dark window: 7:23 PM – 5:04 AM GMT+10 (8 h 41 min)

The Moon

Last Quarter

Illuminated: 50%
Age: 21.5 days
Moonrise: 1:17 AM
Moonset: 12:04 PM
Moon-free dark time: 5 h 55 min

Next phases

Last QuarterSat 3 Oct11:25 PM
New MoonSun 11 Oct2:50 AM
First QuarterMon 19 Oct3:13 AM
Full MoonMon 26 Oct3:12 PM

Next lunar eclipse visible here: Partial · Fri 7 Jul 2028, 4:19 AM · Moon 32° up
Next solar eclipse visible here: Total · Sat 22 Jul 2028, 2:01 PM · 100% of the Sun covered

Planets tonight

Naked-eye planets that climb more than 10° above the horizon during the astronomically dark hours.

Altitude through the night

Planets tonight — Sydney
Planet	Rises	Transits (altitude)	Sets	Best seen tonight	Brightness	In
VenusVisible	7:15 AM	1:22 PM · 77°	8:24 PM	7:23 PM–7:23 PM, W	mag -4.7	Virgo
SaturnVisible	5:55 PM	11:52 PM · 54°	6:48 AM	7:23 PM–5:04 AM, N	mag 0.2	Cetus
MarsVisible	3:23 AM	8:28 AM · 36°	12:34 PM	4:23 AM–5:04 AM, NE	mag 1.1	Cancer
Jupiter	4:15 AM	9:35 AM · 41°	1:58 PM	Below 10°	mag -1.9	Leo
Mercury	7:26 AM	1:09 PM · 71°	7:53 PM	Below 10°	mag -0.1	Virgo

Lower magnitude = brighter. Venus and Jupiter outshine every star.

Sky events — next 90 days

Moon phases, seasons, planet highlights and eclipses, with times for this city.

Oct4Sun
Planet · 11:12 PM
Saturn at opposition
Saturn is opposite the Sun: up all night, and at its closest and brightest for the year.
Oct11Sun
Moon · 2:50 AM
New Moon
Darkest skies of the month for galaxies and the Milky Way.
Oct12Mon
Planet · 9:06 PM
Mercury at greatest evening elongation
25° from the Sun — the best evening view of Mercury, low in the west after sunset.
Oct26Mon
Moon · 3:12 PM
Full Moon
Bright moonlight all night; best for the Moon itself.
Oct29Thu
Moon · 5:04 AM
Moon at perigee near full (a “supermoon”)
Closest to Earth this month: 364,397 km.
Nov9Mon
Moon · 6:02 PM
New Moon
Darkest skies of the month for galaxies and the Milky Way.
Nov25Wed
Moon · 1:54 AM
Full Moon
Bright moonlight all night; best for the Moon itself.
Nov26Thu
Moon · 8:02 AM
Moon at perigee near full (a “supermoon”)
Closest to Earth this month: 359,335 km.
Dec9Wed
Moon · 11:52 AM
New Moon
Darkest skies of the month for galaxies and the Milky Way.
Dec22Tue
Season · 7:50 AM
Summer solstice
The shortest night of the year — the fewest dark hours.
Dec24Thu
Moon · 12:28 PM
Full Moon
Bright moonlight all night; best for the Moon itself.
Dec24Thu
Moon · 7:32 PM
Moon at perigee near full (a “supermoon”)
Closest to Earth this month: 356,641 km.

Quick answers

Will it be clear for stargazing in Sydney tonight?: Best clear spell 12:00 AM–3:00 AM; the Moon (50% lit) rises at 1:17 AM. That is the hourly total-cloud forecast for Sydney, Australia on the night of 3 October 2026, read inside the darkest hours: under 25% cloud counts as clear and 65% or more as cloudy. Rain or showers possible around 10:00 PM.
When does it get dark in Sydney tonight?: In Sydney, Australia on the night of 3 October 2026, astronomical darkness begins at 7:23 PM and lasts until 5:04 AM GMT+10 — 8 h 41 min of fully dark sky. The Sun sets at 5:59 PM, and nautical twilight ends at 6:53 PM.
Is the Moon up tonight in Sydney?: On the night of 3 October 2026 in Sydney, Australia, the Moon is a last quarter, 50% illuminated. It rises at 1:17 AM and sets at 12:04 PM, GMT+10. 5 h 55 min of the dark window is moon-free.
Which planets can I see from Sydney tonight?: From Sydney, Australia on the night of 3 October 2026: Venus (7:23 PM–7:23 PM, highest 11° in the W at 7:23 PM, magnitude -4.7); Mars (4:23 AM–5:04 AM, highest 17° in the NE at 5:04 AM, magnitude 1.1); Saturn (7:23 PM–5:04 AM, highest 54° in the N at 11:53 PM, magnitude 0.2). Times are GMT+10; all are visible to the naked eye.

Forecast details

Location: 33.868° S, 151.207° E
Elevation: 58 m
Time zone: Australia/Sydney (GMT+10)
Weather model: MET Norway Locationforecast 2.0
Forecast issued: 2 Oct, 19:18 UTC
Next update expected: ≈ 2 Oct, 23:44 UTC
Page generated: 2 Oct, 23:53 UTC
Astronomy: Computed with astronomy-engine for these coordinates

Computed for 33.868° S, 151.207° E, elevation 58 m, time zone Australia/Sydney. City centres are light-polluted; the times here apply anywhere within about 50 km, so drive out to darker skies.

Sun, Moon and planet positions are calculated with astronomy-engine. Twilight uses the Sun's geometric centre; sunrise and sunset use the upper limb with standard refraction.

The summary line restates the hourly total-cloud forecast inside the dark window (clear under 25%, cloudy from 65%) and the Moon's times. It is not a score — the Tonight score lives in the app.

Seeing and transparency forecasts are coming to the app first (North America via Environment Canada's model, a worldwide beta elsewhere).

Nearby city forecasts

All forecasts in Australia Moon phase calendar Telescope FOV calculator

Get tonight's score on your phone

The Astronight app adds an hourly sky score, the best window, seeing and transparency, and alerts for clear nights.

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