The Night Sky in Maine
This year's meteor showers, moon phases, and the darkest places to watch from in Maine.
Data updated: August 2026Sources & method · Corrections
The best stargazing in Maine comes on clear, moonless nights, and January, November and December give you the most of them to work with — about 15.2 hours of darkness at the December peak, computed from Maine'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.
Maine offers some of the best stargazing conditions in the northeastern United States, largely because so much of the state remains sparsely populated and heavily forested outside the southern coastal corridor. Once you get away from the Portland-to-Bangor population belt, sky glow drops off quickly, and the state's northern latitude brings long winter nights with extended viewing windows and, during active periods, a real chance of aurora borealis. Coastal humidity and fog can interfere near the shore, so inland and northern locations generally offer steadier, clearer conditions for serious stargazing.
Dark-sky places in Maine
- Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument — Designated an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, this remote monument in north-central Maine near Millinocket sits far from any significant population center, offering some of the darkest, most consistently rated skies on the entire Eastern Seaboard.
- Acadia National Park — A longtime favorite for stargazers on the Maine coast, Acadia hosts an annual night sky festival and offers dark viewing from spots like Cadillac Mountain and the Schoodic Peninsula, though its popularity and nearby coastal towns mean it is not as pitch-dark as the state's deep interior.
- Baxter State Park — This vast wilderness park surrounding Mount Katahdin, ringed by the sparsely developed North Maine Woods, has almost no artificial lighting for tens of miles in any direction, making it a prime spot for viewing the Milky Way.
- Washington County (Downeast Maine) — One of the least densely populated counties in the Northeast, this Downeast region's rural coastline and inland forests sit far from meaningful light pollution, so most public shoreline pull-offs and back roads make for solid viewing on a clear night.
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 Maine nights are worth the drive
The year's meteor peaks with the moon already worked out, and the darkest places in Maine to watch them from.
The complete The Night Sky over Maine
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 Maine.