Mills Observatory Weather Tracker: 1-3 October 2026
Mills Observatory reopens for Season 91 tomorrow – and there could be some promising conditions for its first night back!
Dundee Culture is launching its brand-new weekly Mills Observatory weather tracker as the historic observatory prepares to reopen on Thursday 1 October.
And after poor weather repeatedly caused problems throughout last year’s 90th anniversary season, there’s some encouraging news to begin the new one.
According to the latest Met Office forecast, Thursday currently offers the best stargazing conditions of Mills’ opening three nights, with clear skies and scattered clouds expected over Dundee.
Temperatures are expected to sit around 13°C throughout the opening hours.
Here is the forecast for the first three days:
Thursday 1 October
🟢 GOOD | Clear with scattered clouds | 13°C
Opening night currently looks like the most promising of the three.
Clear spells are expected alongside scattered cloud, which could provide opportunities for observing the night sky through the telescope during Mills’ first evening of Season 91.
Of course, cloud cover can change considerably throughout an evening, but for now Dundee Culture is giving opening night a GOOD stargazing outlook.
Friday 2 October
🟡 FAIR | Partly cloudy | 13°C
Conditions become a little more mixed on Friday, with partly cloudy skies currently forecast.
There could still be breaks in the cloud offering opportunities for stargazing, but conditions aren’t expected to be as favourable as Thursday.
Friday’s current outlook as FAIR.
Saturday 3 October
🔴 POOR | Cloudy / overcast | 13°C
Unfortunately, the outlook deteriorates as we head into Saturday.
Cloudy to overcast conditions are currently expected over Dundee, which would significantly restrict opportunities for observing the night sky.
Saturday therefore receives a POOR stargazing outlook.
What do the ratings mean?
Throughout Season 91, Dundee Culture will use four simple ratings to give visitors an indication of expected observing conditions at Mills.
🟢 GOOD – Clear or mostly clear conditions are expected for a significant part of the evening, providing promising prospects for stargazing.
🟡 FAIR – A mixture of clear spells and cloud is expected, with some opportunities for telescope viewing possible between the clouds.
🟠 MODERATE – Cloud is expected to dominate, although occasional breaks could provide limited opportunities for observing.
🔴 POOR – Predominantly cloudy or overcast conditions are expected, meaning telescope viewing is likely to be severely limited.
The ratings relate specifically to stargazing conditions and aren’t a rating of whether Mills Observatory itself is worth visiting. There’s still plenty to discover inside the observatory when Dundee’s weather doesn’t cooperate!
A new weekly forecast for Season 91
This is the first edition of Dundee Culture’s new Mills Observatory weather tracker, which we’re introducing for the 2026/27 observing season.
Following a 90th anniversary season repeatedly affected by cloudy skies and poor weather, we want to help visitors identify the evenings which currently offer the most promising opportunities for stargazing.
A new tracker will be published every Sunday, looking ahead to conditions during Mills’ Monday to Saturday opening days.
And, when necessary, we’ll provide updates if Dundee’s famously changeable weather decides to throw the forecast out the window!
All forecasts are based on the latest information available from the Met Office at the time of publication. Weather conditions can change quickly and telescope observations at Mills Observatory can never be guaranteed.
For now, though, things are looking promising for opening night.
Remember, there is no more booking system in place from the 2026/27 season onwards, you can just turn up and visit for FREE! Donations are of course welcome!
Welcome to Season 91 – and here’s hoping for plenty of clear skies ahead!
