Two different nights on one island: the high, cold summit of Haleakalā, or the warm coast below.
Calculated for Haleakalā summit area (Visitor Center) (20.715, -156.250)Local time HST (UTC−10)
Stargazing at Haleakalā summit area (Visitor Center)Forecast
Skip tonight. Monday will be much better.
Don't bother tonight — plan for Monday instead.
Rain is forecast elsewhere in the night · Heavy cloud, 100% night average · Moon is nearly dark (5%) · 10.2 h of full darkness · Nothing on tonight's list rates well
Go means conditions are usable; Wait is shown only when remaining earlier scored hours support a timing improvement; Later window means there is no demonstrated reason to delay. Neither label ranks places. The window is selected by hourly cloud, darkness, Moon altitude and rain, with whole-night context in the verdict. It is not a guarantee or proof that earlier hours are unusable. Artificial light, terrain, access and personal safety are not scored. The former confidence percentage was an uncalibrated internal heuristic using forecast coverage, cloud variation, rain and score margin — not the probability of clear weather or a successful outing. It is no longer shown here.
Sunset
17:47
99% cloud forecast
Full darkness
19:03
Sun 18° below horizon
Best stargazing window
No usable window
Inside astronomical darkness · Tonight engine
Night cloud
100%
Live forecast in use
Moon
5% lit
Waning Crescent · up ≈0% of dark hours
Milky Way core
19:03–19:26
peaks 14° high
Each place has its own forecast and calculation. Go and Wait describe timing, not a ranking of places. Compare the chosen window, not only the whole-night cloud average. Artificial light and access rules are not scored; a place marked “Sky conditions only” is not a visit recommendation.
| Place | Stargazing | Night cloud | Darkness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haleakalā summit area (Visitor Center)The documented dark-sky site on Maui. Summit weather often differs from the coast, so the coast is assessed separately. | SkipDon't bother tonight — plan for Monday instead.Scored conditionsRain is forecast elsewhere in the night · Heavy cloud, 100% night average · Moon is nearly dark (5%) · 10.2 h of full darkness · Nothing on tonight's list rates well Live forecast in use. Calculated Fri 6 Nov, 17:05. | 100% | Full dark from 19:03 |
| Kīhei coast (South Maui)Where many visitors stay; warm, accessible, but with resort and town lighting. | GoSelected window 19:03–05:16. The Tonight engine selects this window because cloud stays thin, Moonlight doesn't affect the best viewing window. Compared with earlier remaining scored hours: less cloud (≈32% earlier → ≈27% in the window); more complete darkness. Earlier observing is not ruled out.Scored conditionsWindow cloud ≈27%; whole-night mean 27%. Moon altitude in the scored hours: -82°–4°. Cloud, darkness, Moon altitude and rain affect the timing; a full Moon can remain up throughout. Live forecast in use. Calculated Fri 6 Nov, 17:05. | 27%Window ≈27% | Full dark from 19:03 |
| Kīpahulu (coastal district of the park)Coastal camping alternative in the park; reservations required. | SkipDon't bother tonight — plan for Monday instead.Scored conditionsRain is forecast elsewhere in the night · Heavy cloud, 100% night average · Moon is nearly dark (5%) · 10.2 h of full darkness · Nothing on tonight's list rates well Live forecast in use. Calculated Fri 6 Nov, 17:05. | 100% | Full dark from 19:02 |
Evening of Fri 6 NovAstronomy
17:47
Sunset
18:10
Civil twilight ends
18:36
Nautical twilight ends
19:03
Astronomical darkness
Astronomical darkness begins at 19:03. Faint-star and Milky Way visibility also depends on cloud, Moon, artificial light and the local horizon. Morning: darkness ends 05:15, sunrise 06:31.
Times in Pacific/Honolulu (HST, UTC−10). No daylight saving time in this zone.
Fri 6 NovAstronomy
The Moon is below the horizon in the sampled dark hours; cloud and local lighting still affect the sky.
Galactic centre in SagittariusAstronomy
The window needs astronomical darkness and the core at least 10° up. Core positions include refraction and are sampled each minute; these are timing estimates, not guaranteed visibility. Hills, trees and town glow near the horizon can still hide it.
Above the horizon vs. easy to seeAstronomy
"Favourable geometry" means at least 10° up while the Sun is 12° or more below the horizon. Cloud, Moon and local obstructions are not included; positions are sampled every 15 minutes.
Tonight · OrionidsForecast
Skip tonight — cloud
Rates are approximate modelled estimates, not measured or guaranteed counts. Observing windows use 30-minute samples: any start or end is approximate and may differ by almost 30 minutes from a continuous crossing. Radiants use fixed peak positions; daily radiant drift is not modelled. The model assumes a fixed, moderately dark sky; town light can cut what you see well below these figures.
Coming upAstronomy
Year-specific IMO predictions, not guaranteed or observed peaks. Date-only maxima are not assigned an invented local hour. The rate model above still uses typical annual peak dates and fixed radiant positions; it does not model the published peak ranges or daily radiant drift.
Lowest-cloud evening (weather only): Sun 8 Nov (lowest mean night cloud). The overall recommendation at the top also weighs moonlight and darkness, so it can name a different night. Cloud is shown only where the forecast covers the night. Values come from an eight-day forecast — the later evenings are less certain than the first, so check again close to the date.
| Evening | Sunset | Full dark | Moon | Night cloudForecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 6 Nov | 17:47 | 19:03 | 4% · down | 100% |
| Sat 7 Nov | 17:47 | 19:02 | 1% · down | 99% |
| Sun 8 NovLowest cloud | 17:46 | 19:02 | 0% · down | 98% |
| Mon 9 Nov | 17:46 | 19:02 | 1% · down | Beyond forecast |
| Tue 10 Nov | 17:46 | 19:02 | 4% · down | Beyond forecast |
| Wed 11 Nov | 17:45 | 19:01 | 9% · up ≈7% | Beyond forecast |
| Thu 12 Nov | 17:45 | 19:01 | 15% · up ≈17% | Beyond forecast |
| Fri 13 Nov | 17:45 | 19:01 | 23% · up ≈24% | Beyond forecast |
Astronomy only. No weather is given for this selected date. Moon-up percentages are approximate 15-minute samples across astronomical darkness; Milky Way positions include refraction and one-minute sampling, not visibility guarantees.
Astronomy on the 15th of each month — not a weather or climate forecast. Each core window uses astronomical darkness and its stated altitude threshold (10°, or a lower 5°/2° threshold when the core stays low). Low-altitude windows are marginal geometry, not equivalent to a 10° window or a visibility recommendation.Astronomy
| Month | Full darkness | Milky Way core in darkness |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.4 h | 0.1 h above 5° · up to 6° |
| Feb | 10.0 h | 1.6 h above 10° · up to 26° |
| Mar | 9.5 h | 3.0 h above 10° · up to 37° |
| Apr | 8.8 h | 4.6 h above 10° · up to 40° |
| May | 8.2 h | 6.2 h above 10° · up to 40° |
| Jun | 7.8 h | 7.8 h above 10° · up to 40° |
| Jul | 8.0 h | 6.4 h above 10° · up to 40° |
| Aug | 8.6 h | 4.7 h above 10° · up to 40° |
| Sept | 9.3 h | 3.1 h above 10° · up to 37° |
| Oct | 9.9 h | 1.6 h above 10° · up to 27° |
| Nov | 10.3 h | 0.3 h above 5° · up to 8° |
| Dec | 10.5 h | — |
Sources are linked below. Tourism descriptions do not confirm current access, closures or safety. Sky calculations use an ideal horizon, not local mountain or building profiles.
The National Park Service says Haleakalā's high elevation often gives clearer air and that light pollution there is minimal. That describes the summit — not the coast where most visitors sleep.
Source: National Park Service — Haleakalā National ParkBoth park districts are open 24 hours. For a summit trip, entry between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. requires a sunrise reservation; check current park requirements before travelling.
Source: National Park Service — Haleakalā National ParkThe park warns that conditions just after dusk and just before dawn are regularly wet, windy and below freezing at the summit. Pack for a mountain night, not a beach evening.
Source: National Park Service — Haleakalā National ParkThere are no lights or guardrails on the road up to and through the summit district. Drive slowly, and watch for wildlife disoriented by headlights.
Source: National Park Service — Haleakalā National ParkOvernight stays are allowed only in designated campgrounds — Hosmer Grove at the summit district and Kīpahulu on the coast. Sleeping in a vehicle outside a campground is prohibited.
Source: National Park Service — Haleakalā National ParkWhy this calculation point: The documented dark-sky site on Maui. Summit weather often differs from the coast, so the coast is assessed separately.
Forecast fetched Fri 6 Nov, 17:06 local time · weather: Live forecast in use. Astronomy: astronomy-engine, twilight on the geometric Sun (USNO convention), times rounded to the nearest minute.
