The Night Sky in Wyoming
This year's meteor showers, moon phases, and the darkest places to watch from in Wyoming.
Data updated: August 2026Sources & method · Corrections
The best stargazing in Wyoming comes on clear, moonless nights, and January, November and December give you the most of them to work with — about 14.9 hours of darkness at the December peak, computed from Wyoming'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.
Wyoming's population density is the lowest of any state outside Alaska, so its night skies are largely free of the light pollution that washes out stars in more developed parts of the country. Much of the state sits above 6,000 feet, and the dry, clear air common across its high plains, mountains, and desert basins often makes for excellent transparency and steady viewing. From the jagged silhouette of the Tetons to the vast emptiness of the high desert, wide-open horizons and minimal artificial light glow are the norm rather than the exception in nearly every region of the state. Winter nights tend to be the clearest, though visitors should be prepared for genuinely cold temperatures after dark.
Dark-sky places in Wyoming
- Grand Teton National Park — Sharp mountain silhouettes and very little nearby development make this one of the more dramatic places in the country for a dark sky; rangers lead seasonal stargazing programs, and pullouts along the Snake River offer wide-open views overhead.
- Yellowstone National Park (Lamar Valley and backcountry) — The park's enormous size keeps its interior far from artificial light, and the wide-open meadows of Lamar Valley in the northeast section are a favorite spot for viewing the Milky Way away from the more developed areas near the entrances.
- Devils Tower National Monument — Set in Wyoming's sparsely populated northeast corner, the monument sits far from any sizable town, and its distinctive silhouette against a star-filled sky is a popular draw for night photographers.
- The Red Desert / Great Divide Basin — This vast, largely uninhabited high-desert basin in south-central Wyoming has almost no artificial light for tens of miles in any direction, making it one of the darkest and least-visited stretches of sky in the Lower 48.
- Bighorn National Forest — High-elevation meadows and campgrounds across the range sit well above and away from the small towns that ring it, giving clear, dark views across much of north-central Wyoming.
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 Wyoming nights are worth the drive
The year's meteor peaks with the moon already worked out, and the darkest places in Wyoming to watch them from.
The complete The Night Sky over Wyoming
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 Wyoming.