The Night Sky in Nevada
This year's meteor showers, moon phases, and the darkest places to watch from in Nevada.
Data updated: August 2026Sources & method · Corrections
The best stargazing in Nevada comes on clear, moonless nights, and January, November and December give you the most of them to work with — about 14.5 hours of darkness at the December peak, computed from Nevada'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.
Nevada's night sky ranges from one of the brightest light domes in the country over Las Vegas to some of the darkest skies left in the Lower 48 across the state's vast, sparsely populated interior. Reno and Sparks add a second, smaller light dome in the north, but most of Nevada beyond these two metro areas is remote basin-and-range desert country with very few towns, and the dry, clear high-desert air brings frequent cloudless nights well suited to stargazing. Away from Las Vegas and Reno-Sparks, a fairly short drive is often enough to trade a washed-out sky for a genuinely dark one, with wide, unobstructed horizons across much of the state's open desert and mountain terrain.
Dark-sky places in Nevada
- Public land beyond the Las Vegas light dome — Southern Nevada's state parks and other public land well outside the Las Vegas valley sit far enough from the city's glow that the sky darkens noticeably within a fairly short drive.
- Public land beyond the Reno-Sparks light dome — Northern Nevada's light dome is smaller than the one over Las Vegas, and rural public land beyond the Reno-Sparks suburbs offers a noticeably darker sky on a clear night.
- The rural basin-and-range interior of central and eastern Nevada — Much of Nevada's interior is remote desert valleys and mountain ranges with very few towns; the dry high-desert air and low population across this stretch of the state make for some of the least light-polluted skies in the country on a clear, moonless night.
- Nevada's state park system — Nevada's state parks are spread across these same rural stretches of the state, well away from Las Vegas and Reno-Sparks, so a park with a campground and basic facilities is often enough for a dark sky without needing to head into more remote public land.
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 Nevada nights are worth the drive
The year's meteor peaks with the moon already worked out, and the darkest places in Nevada to watch them from.
The complete The Night Sky over Nevada
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 Nevada.