The Night Sky in North Dakota
This year's meteor showers, moon phases, and the darkest places to watch from in North Dakota.
Data updated: August 2026Sources & method · Corrections
The best stargazing in North Dakota comes on clear, moonless nights, and January, November and December give you the most of them to work with — about 15.5 hours of darkness at the December peak, computed from North Dakota'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.
North Dakota's vast, thinly populated landscape gives it some of the darkest night skies in the Midwest, especially away from its handful of small cities like Fargo, Bismarck, and Grand Forks. The state's wide-open plains and rolling badlands leave little to block the horizon once you're clear of town lights, and the dry continental climate often delivers crisp, transparent air on clear nights. Light pollution is concentrated in just a few urban pockets, so even a short drive into the surrounding countryside typically turns up a noticeably darker sky. Winters are brutally cold but often bring the steadiest, clearest viewing of the year, and the aurora borealis makes occasional appearances during active periods.
Dark-sky places in North Dakota
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park — Deep in the badlands of far western North Dakota, this park sits hours from any major source of light and is known for some of the darkest, clearest skies in the country. Each late summer it hosts the Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival, when astronomers set up telescopes for public stargazing.
- Lake Sakakawea State Park — On the south shore of the state's largest reservoir in Mercer County, this park is one of the quieter, less-visited spots in the state system, and the open water adds a low, unbroken horizon that works well for watching stars rise.
- Crow Flies High State Recreation Area — This overlook near New Town, high above Lake Sakakawea, is remote and largely free of ambient light, making it a favorite among locals for stargazing as well as for its badlands and reservoir views by day.
- International Peace Garden — Straddling the North Dakota-Manitoba border in the Turtle Mountains, this remote garden sits far from any city glow, and its campground makes an easy overnight base for watching the stars.
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 North Dakota nights are worth the drive
The year's meteor peaks with the moon already worked out, and the darkest places in North Dakota to watch them from.
The complete The Night Sky over North Dakota
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 North Dakota.