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Cold is the Night

As mysterious and beautiful as the night sky is, many don’t consider it a forecasting tool. But you might be surprised to find what the night skies can reveal.

A clear sky not only allows stars to shine bright, but also allows radiation emitted from the earth to escape into space, causing the surface to continually cool, thus creating cooler night temperatures.

starry_skyOn the other hand, cloudy nights are warmer than clear nights because clouds act as insulation in the atmosphere, much like a blanket, causing the atmosphere to retain heat from the afternoon sun.

If a clear night occurs in the winter and spring months, the seasonably cooler air may cause the temperature to drop to its dew point, and frost may form.

Viewing the planets and the moon has a lot to do with what is in the air. If you live close to a big city, there is usually either a lot of artificial light that reflects into the night sky and makes it hard to view the planets, and/or at times, a lot of haze due to pollutants that exist near these big cities.

These factors will make it hard to view objects in the sky. But the weather has something to do with it as well. Planets and stars are more easily viewed when the air is dry and there is almost no haze in the atmosphere. So, you are more likely to be able to view a bright night sky in January than in August.

Tags: best months for stars, clear skies, cold is the night, skywatching, viewing stars