The hardest part of ranking dark-sky spots isn’t darkness—it’s predicting how the night fails

A dark site can still be a wasted drive when the clear window misses astronomical darkness, rainfall arrives between forecast blocks, or moon timing conflicts with the target. Three months ago I shared how I was ranking observing spots by these failure modes rather than Bortle class alone, and the feedback shaped this update.

Disclosure: I’m the developer of DarkScout. Version 27.7.10 adds a detailed 12-hour cloud map, rainfall-aware Astro Score and hourly decisions, more reliable forecast refresh, plus a pure-black iOS 26 redesign. It also includes saved spots, darkness/moon context, Milky Way timing, widgets, alerts, community photos, and nearby observing events.

For people who travel to dark sites: what should carry more weight in a spot ranking—cloud timing, rain risk, moonlight, drive distance, or site access?

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6760223860

I’m also giving away one month of PRO here, with no review or rating expected: https://www.promies.net/promotion/8f8a3120-085e-4021-8e65-c895e0ff6e48