The Night Sky in Mississippi
This year's meteor showers, moon phases, and the darkest places to watch from in Mississippi.
Data updated: August 2026Sources & method · Corrections
The best stargazing in Mississippi 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 Mississippi'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.
Mississippi is a largely flat, rural state, so once you get outside Jackson, the Gulf Coast cities, or the northern suburbs near Memphis, light pollution drops off quickly across the piney woods, farmland, and river bottoms that cover most of the landscape. Humidity and summer haze can soften contrast, but the drier, clearer air of fall and winter often makes for the best viewing conditions. Good stargazing here mostly comes down to finding open, rural ground well away from the stargazing here mostly comes down to finding open, rural ground well away from the nearest town's glow.
Dark-sky places in Mississippi
- De Soto National Forest (southeastern Mississippi) — This large tract of national forest land in the piney woods of the southeast sits well away from the Gulf Coast's light dome, making it one of the more promising areas in the state for a dark, open sky.
- Holly Springs National Forest (northern Mississippi) — A sparsely developed forest area near the Tennessee border, far enough from the Memphis metro area's glow to offer noticeably darker skies than towns nearby.
- Rural farm country of the Mississippi Delta (northwestern Mississippi) — The flat, wide-open, sparsely populated farmland of the Delta has few large towns, so a quiet county road away from any small town's lights can open up a wide, unobstructed horizon-to-horizon view.
- Quiet overlooks along the Natchez Trace Parkway — Long rural stretches of this scenic parkway pass through undeveloped woods and farmland with little nearby lighting, especially through its central Mississippi segments, making a pulled-off overlook a reliable spot to escape ambient light.
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 Mississippi nights are worth the drive
The year's meteor peaks with the moon already worked out, and the darkest places in Mississippi to watch them from.
The complete The Night Sky over Mississippi
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 Mississippi.