Is Tonight Good for Stargazing?
Tonight the Moon is a First Quarter, 31% lit — a good night for stargazing.
Fairly dark — faint objects show well, especially once the Moon has set.
When your sky is darkest tonight
The sky is darkest while the Moon is below the horizon — before it rises, or after it sets.
See tonight's moonrise and moonset for your location — the hours outside them are your darkest, best stargazing window.
Best dark-sky nights coming up
Each window spans the ~3 nights either side of a New Moon, when moonlight is faintest:
| New Moon (UTC) | Best stargazing nights |
|---|---|
| Wed, Aug 12, 2026 | Aug 9 – Aug 15 |
| Fri, Sep 11, 2026 | Sep 8 – Sep 14 |
| Sat, Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 7 – Oct 13 |
| Mon, Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 6 – Nov 12 |
| Tue, Dec 8, 2026 | Dec 5 – Dec 11 |
| Thu, Jan 7, 2027 | Jan 4 – Jan 10 |
Stargazing is really a contest of light: the fainter the competing glow, the more the sky reveals. The Moon is by far the brightest thing in the night sky, so its phase sets the ceiling on what you can see. On a dark night the new-moon sky shows thousands of stars and the band of the Milky Way; under a full Moon only the few hundred brightest survive. Pick a dark window above, get away from city lights, and let your eyes adapt for twenty minutes.
Frequently Asked
Is tonight good for stargazing?
Tonight the Moon is a First Quarter at 31% illumination, which makes it a good night for stargazing. Fairly dark — faint objects show well, especially once the Moon has set.
Does the moon affect stargazing?
Strongly. A bright Moon floods the sky with light and washes out faint stars, galaxies and meteors — the same way a streetlight hides them. The darker the Moon (and the longer it stays below the horizon), the more you can see.
What is the best moon phase for stargazing?
The New Moon and the few nights either side of it are best, because little or no moonlight reaches the sky. The week around new moon is when astronomers chase the Milky Way, meteor showers and deep-sky objects.
When can I stargaze even during a bright moon?
Observe before the Moon rises or after it sets — the location button above gives your local moonrise and moonset. Even on a bright night, the Moon, planets and brightest stars stay easy to see; it is the faint objects that fade.