The Night Sky in Illinois
This year's meteor showers, moon phases, and the darkest places to watch from in Illinois.
Data updated: August 2026Sources & method · Corrections
The best stargazing in Illinois comes on clear, moonless nights, and January, November and December give you the most of them to work with — about 14.7 hours of darkness at the December peak, computed from Illinois'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.
Illinois is a state of real contrasts for stargazers. The Chicago metropolitan area casts one of the largest light domes in North America across the northeastern part of the state, but the flat, open farmland that covers most of Illinois gives wide, unobstructed horizons once you're far enough from any town's glow. The darkest, most reliable skies are generally found in the southern third of the state, where lower population density and unusually hilly, forested terrain cut down on scattered light. Clear nights in fall and winter tend to offer the steadiest views, since summer haze and humidity over the cropland can soften contrast even under a cloudless sky.
Dark-sky places in Illinois
- Middle Fork River Forest Preserve — Near Oakwood in Vermilion County, Middle Fork is Illinois's only IDA-certified International Dark Sky Park — a dedicated observing field and reliably dark, rural surroundings make it the state's flagship stargazing destination.
- Shawnee National Forest — Covering the hilly, forested tip of southern Illinois between the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, Shawnee's low population density and rugged terrain (unusual for this state) keep its remote campgrounds and back roads noticeably darker than the rest of Illinois.
- Rural southern and west-central Illinois — Away from the light domes of Chicago and the St. Louis area (Metro East), farm country in the southern and west-central parts of the state offers wide-open horizons; county forest preserves and public land well off the interstates are usually a good bet for a darker sky.
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 Illinois nights are worth the drive
The year's meteor peaks with the moon already worked out, and the darkest places in Illinois to watch them from.
The complete The Night Sky over Illinois
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 Illinois.