The Night Sky in Florida
This year's meteor showers, moon phases, and the darkest places to watch from in Florida.
Data updated: August 2026Sources & method · Corrections
The best stargazing in Florida comes on clear, moonless nights, and January, November and December give you the most of them to work with — about 13.6 hours of darkness at the December peak, computed from Florida'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.
Florida's flat terrain means few natural obstructions block the horizon, but the state's dense coastal development creates substantial light pollution along both coasts. The darkest skies remain in the rural interior and the southern wetlands, well away from the Miami-Orlando-Tampa corridor. Clear, low-humidity nights are most common during the winter dry season, while summer's frequent thunderstorms and haze can make viewing less predictable.
Dark-sky places in Florida
- Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park — An International Dark Sky Park in Okeechobee County, this remote prairie preserve offers some of the darkest skies in the eastern United States and hosts periodic public astronomy nights.
- Big Cypress National Preserve — This IDA-certified Dark Sky Park protects a huge swath of South Florida swamp and prairie, with minimal artificial lighting and wide-open views for watching the Milky Way on clear nights.
- Rural state parks and wildlife management areas inland — Conservation lands away from the coastal metro areas, especially in the state's central and northern interior, offer noticeably darker skies than the rest of the peninsula, particularly on clear winter nights.
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 Florida nights are worth the drive
The year's meteor peaks with the moon already worked out, and the darkest places in Florida to watch them from.
The complete The Night Sky over Florida
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 Florida.