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Worth the Look

The High Country has some of the darkest skies in the East. Here's what's worth stepping outside and looking up for: meteor showers, full moons, eclipses, and the occasional aurora watch. We flag the nights the sky is actually worth a look, and tell you where to aim.

Celestial calendar · updated Aug 18, 10:49 PM ET

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The nights we'd step outside for.

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Now through Sep 8

Meteor shower

Perseids from Perseus

★ why look upThis was a good year for the Perseids meteor shower. A key reason was the Moon was absent from lighting up Earth's night sky so that more meteors were visible than usual. - left917

This was a good year for the Perseids meteor shower. A key reason was the Moon was absent from lighting up Earth's night sky so that more meteors were visible than usual.

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Aug 2026

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Fri, Aug 28

Full moon · rises at sunset, up all night

Full Moon — the Sturgeon Moon

The Sturgeon Moon rises around sunset and is up all night. Beautiful to look at, but its glare washes out the Milky Way and meteors, so it's a night for the moon itself, not faint stuff.

Sep 2026

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Sun, Sep 27

Full moon · rises at sunset, up all night

Full Moon — the Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon rises around sunset and is up all night. Beautiful to look at, but its glare washes out the Milky Way and meteors, so it's a night for the moon itself, not faint stuff.

Oct 2026

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Wed, Oct 21

Meteor shower · after midnight

Orionids meteor shower

~20/hr, fast and bright. Look toward the southeast after midnight. Moon that night: 71% lit, a bright moon washes out the faint ones.

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Mon, Oct 26

Full moon · rises at sunset, up all night

Full Moon — the Hunter's Moon

The Hunter's Moon rises around sunset and is up all night. Beautiful to look at, but its glare washes out the Milky Way and meteors, so it's a night for the moon itself, not faint stuff.

Nov 2026

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Tue, Nov 17

Meteor shower · the hours before dawn

Leonids meteor shower

~15/hr, famously fast. Look toward the east the hours before dawn. Moon that night: 46% lit, a half-lit moon, so the dimmest streaks hide.

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Wed, Nov 25

Full moon · rises at sunset, up all night

Full Moon — the Beaver Moon

The Beaver Moon rises around sunset and is up all night. Beautiful to look at, but its glare washes out the Milky Way and meteors, so it's a night for the moon itself, not faint stuff.

Dec 2026

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Mon, Dec 14

Meteor shower · all evening

Geminids meteor shower

~120/hr, the best shower of the year. Look toward nearly overhead all evening. Moon that night: 22% lit, dark skies, ideal.

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Meteor showers, moon phases, and aurora watches are computed from published astronomical data and NOAA space-weather forecasts. Aurora this far south is rare and never guaranteed. Skies change fast, so always step out and see for yourself.