The Night Sky in Alabama
This year's meteor showers, moon phases, and the darkest places to watch from in Alabama.
Data updated: August 2026Sources & method · Corrections
The best stargazing in Alabama comes on clear, moonless nights, and January, November and December give you the most of them to work with — about 14.0 hours of darkness at the December peak, computed from Alabama's own sun times. Below: this year's meteor-shower peaks and how bright the moon will be for each, a month-by-month new- and full-moon calendar, and the darkest places to watch from.
Alabama's night skies range from washed-out to genuinely dark depending on how far you get from its largest cities — Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, and Mobile all cast light domes that can dim everything but the brightest stars for many miles around. The state's extensive national forests and rural farmland, especially at the higher elevations in the east, hold on to much darker conditions. Humid summer air can haze out fainter detail, so the crisper, drier nights of fall and winter tend to reward stargazers with sharper views of the Milky Way. Heading away from the interstate corridors and into Alabama's public forest land is generally the surest way to find a darker sky.
Dark-sky places in Alabama
- Cheaha State Park — Home to Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama, set within Talladega National Forest. The elevation and thick surrounding forest put real distance between you and the light domes of Birmingham and Atlanta, making it one of the more reliable spots in the state for wide-open sky views.
- William B. Bankhead National Forest — A large, sparsely developed forest in the northwest corner of the state, including the rugged Sipsey Wilderness. Low population density and limited nearby development help keep skyglow to a minimum.
- Conecuh National Forest — Tucked into southern Alabama near the Florida state line, this forest's long stretches of longleaf pine and scarcity of nearby towns make it one of the darker corners of the state's southern half.
- Rural Black Belt farmland (west-central Alabama) — This sparsely populated farming region has few large towns and wide-open horizons, giving it a noticeably darker sky than the state's urban corridors on clear nights - a solid choice if you're simply looking for open countryside away from city lights.
Ranger programs, star parties and opening hours change season to season — check with the site before you drive out.
The sky this month (August)
The moon in August: New moon Aug 12 · Full moon Aug 28. Darkest skies fall around Aug 7–Aug 17, near the new moon.
Meteor showers peaking in August:
| Meteor shower | Peak | Meteors/hr | Moon | Best time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perseids | Aug 12 | 100 | 0% near-new | late evening to dawn |
Meteor showers in 2026
| Meteor shower | Peak | Meteors/hr | Moon | Best time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | Jan 3 | 120 | 100% near-full | after midnight into dawn |
| Lyrids | Apr 22 | 18 | 29% crescent | after midnight |
| Eta Aquariids | May 6 | 50 | 83% gibbous | pre-dawn (better in the South) |
| Southern Delta Aquariids | Jul 30 | 25 | 100% near-full | pre-dawn |
| Perseids | Aug 12 | 100 | 0% near-new | late evening to dawn |
| Draconids | Oct 8 | 10 | 7% crescent | early evening |
| Orionids | Oct 21 | 20 | 74% gibbous | after midnight |
| Southern Taurids | Nov 5 | 5 | 16% crescent | late evening (slow, bright fireballs) |
| Northern Taurids | Nov 12 | 5 | 8% crescent | late evening (slow, bright fireballs) |
| Leonids | Nov 17 | 15 | 48% quarter moon | after midnight |
| Geminids | Dec 14 | 150 | 22% crescent | evening to dawn (best all year) |
| Ursids | Dec 22 | 10 | 95% near-full | after midnight |
Moon phases in 2026
| Month | New moon (darkest) | Full moon |
|---|---|---|
| January | Jan 18 | Jan 3 |
| February | Feb 17 | Feb 1 |
| March | Mar 18 | Mar 3 |
| April | Apr 17 | Apr 1 |
| May | May 16 | May 1, May 31 |
| June | Jun 14 | Jun 29 |
| July | Jul 14 | Jul 29 |
| August | Aug 12 | Aug 28 |
| September | Sep 10 | Sep 26 |
| October | Oct 10 | Oct 26 |
| November | Nov 9 | Nov 24 |
| December | Dec 8 | Dec 23 |
Which Alabama nights are worth the drive
The year's meteor peaks with the moon already worked out, and the darkest places in Alabama to watch them from.
The complete The Night Sky over Alabama
A stargazing companion for the state that does not expire: the meteor calendar, the darkest places, and how to read any year's sky.
Want it on paper? See the printable The Night Sky over Alabama.