Chicago
Illinois, United States
Today
Feb 25, 2026
0
/ 100
First Light Index
Poor
Our proprietary metric combining sky clarity, moon interference, and light pollution for optimal stargazing conditions.
0
/ 100
Shutter Score
Poor
Photography-specific metric factoring cloud quality and golden hour potential for landscape shooters.
Light Windows Today
4 AM12 PM11 PM
Sunrise
6:31 AM
Golden: 55min
Sunset
5:36 PM
Golden: 55min
True Darkness
7:08 PM
Stars visible
Add to Calendar
Get reminders for golden hour and dark sky windows
Morning Golden Hour
6:14 AM - 7:09 AM
Evening Golden Hour
4:58 PM - 5:53 PM
Dark Sky Window
7:08 PM onwards
📱 How to use:
- 1. Download the .ics file above
- 2. Open it with your calendar app (iPhone Calendar, Google Calendar, Outlook)
- 3. Events will be added automatically
- 4. You'll get 30-minute reminders before each window
30-min reminders
All calendar apps
Timezone aware
No sign-up needed
Moon Phase
56%
Phase
First Quarter
Illumination
56%
⚠️ High Moon Interference
Bright moonlight will wash out faint deep sky objects
Light Pollution
9
Class 1
DarkClass 5
SuburbanClass 9
City
DarkClass 5
SuburbanClass 9
City
Chicago Classification
Poor for Astronomy
Bortle Class 9: Inner City Sky
Inner city sky
Visible Tonight
Entire sky brightly lit, only Moon, planets, and brightest stars visible
💡 Urban Sky Recommendation
Focus on lunar and planetary observation. Consider driving to a darker location for deep sky work.
💡 Tip: Check "Nearby Dark Sky" section below to find better observing sites within driving distance
Weather Conditions
Cloud Cover
61%
Heavy clouds - limited visibility and light
Morning
93%
Evening
100%
Overnight
100%
Precipitation
29%
Possible
Wind
22
km/h avg
Gusts up to 41 km/h
🔴 Windy - Challenging conditions
Humidity
49%
Moderate
Visibility
23.3
km
Excellent clarity
Temperature
2°C
High
/
-3°C
Low
Seeing
2
/ 5
Fair - Atmospheric stability
Transparency
1
/ 5
Hazy - Air clarity
Conditions Summary
🌪️ Poor seeing - Stick to wide-field imaging or wait for better atmospheric stability
Need to calculate camera settings?
Use our free calculators for shutter speed, hyperfocal distance, and field of view
Open Calculators