The Night Sky in Rhode Island
This year's meteor showers, moon phases, and the darkest places to watch from in Rhode Island.
Data updated: August 2026Sources & method · Corrections
The best stargazing in Rhode Island comes on clear, moonless nights, and January, November and December give you the most of them to work with — about 14.8 hours of darkness at the December peak, computed from Rhode Island'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.
Rhode Island's small footprint and dense population mean light pollution from the Providence metro area and the Interstate 95 corridor spreads across much of the state, washing out fainter stars in most eastern and central towns. The darkest, most reliable conditions are found in the rural western half of the state and on the islands off the coast, where distance from urban light domes lets more of the night sky come through on clear nights. Coastal humidity and cloud cover can limit visibility near the shore, so the crispest, driest nights in fall and winter tend to offer the best transparency for stargazing.
Dark-sky places in Rhode Island
- Block Island — Well offshore in the Atlantic and away from the mainland's light domes, the island's southern and interior areas away from the small harbor village offer some of the darkest skies accessible in Rhode Island.
- Frosty Drew Observatory area, Ninigret Park (Charlestown) — Set in South County away from the brightest parts of the state, this is one of the longtime go-to public stargazing spots on the Rhode Island mainland, sitting in a comparatively dark pocket of the coast.
- Arcadia Management Area (Exeter, Richmond, and Hopkinton) — Rhode Island's largest state-owned forest and management area is a wide stretch of woods and ponds in the rural southwestern part of the state, with little nearby development to brighten the sky.
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 Rhode Island nights are worth the drive
The year's meteor peaks with the moon already worked out, and the darkest places in Rhode Island to watch them from.
The complete The Night Sky over Rhode Island
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 Rhode Island.