A great night for stargazing in Mobile, AL

Mobile ranks 124th out of 500 US cities for night-sky darkness, with a darkness index of 81 out of 100. That estimate comes from the population of every community within 150 km, weighted by distance — so what matters is the glow of the whole metro area, not just the city's own size.

That puts Mobile among the darker large cities in the country. On a clear, moonless night the Milky Way is often visible from the edge of town, and a short drive gets you genuinely dark sky.

If you are willing to drive, Gulfport, MS sits under noticeably darker sky and is the nearest city on our ranking with a real improvement. Give your eyes about 20 minutes to adapt once you arrive, and avoid looking at your phone.

Light pollution is the part that does not change night to night. Cloud cover and moonlight do, which is what the forecast above tracks.