The Night Sky in Louisiana
This year's meteor showers, moon phases, and the darkest places to watch from in Louisiana.
Data updated: August 2026Sources & method · Corrections
The best stargazing in Louisiana comes on clear, moonless nights, and January, November and December give you the most of them to work with — about 13.8 hours of darkness at the December peak, computed from Louisiana'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.
Louisiana's stargazing is mostly a story of humidity and distance from the state's river cities. Summer nights often turn soft and hazy under thick, moisture-laden air, while the cooler, drier fronts of fall and winter — especially October, December, and January — bring the year's clearest, most transparent skies. Light pollution is heaviest around New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport-Bossier City, and Lafayette, so the darkest views open up in the state's rural marshes, prairies, and forestland well away from those metro areas. There's no single famous dark-sky destination here — the reward comes from finding the flat, sparsely lit backcountry and waiting for a clear night.
Dark-sky places in Louisiana
- Sabine National Wildlife Refuge — A stretch of coastal marsh in the far southwest corner of the state, near the Texas line, with very little nearby development to brighten the sky. The flat, open horizon suits meteor showers and low-altitude viewing alike.
- Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge — Just inland from Sabine along the southwest Louisiana coast, this refuge's open prairie and marsh offer the same wide, unlit horizon — a good bet whenever a dry cold front clears out the coastal haze.
- Kisatchie National Forest — Louisiana's only national forest spans several parishes across the central and northern part of the state. Its more remote campgrounds and recreation areas, away from Alexandria, Natchitoches, and the Shreveport-Bossier City area, offer some of the darker skies available inland.
- Atchafalaya Basin — The country's largest river swamp lies between Baton Rouge and Lafayette and stays sparsely developed across a huge stretch of water and woods. A boat launch or levee road well off the interstate corridor puts real distance between you and the nearest 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 Louisiana nights are worth the drive
The year's meteor peaks with the moon already worked out, and the darkest places in Louisiana to watch them from.
The complete The Night Sky over Louisiana
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 Louisiana.