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Stargazing Guides

Everything you need to know about seeing the Milky Way, finding dark skies, and planning your perfect night under the stars.

New to stargazing?

Start with our beginner guide and tonight's forecast.

Read the GuideCheck Tonight's Forecast

Getting Started

How to See the Milky Way

A complete beginner's guide to seeing our galaxy with the naked eye

Best Time to See the Milky Way

Seasonal timing, best months, and optimal viewing hours

Moon Phases for Stargazing

How moonlight affects visibility and when to plan your sessions

Cloud Cover & Stargazing Weather

Understanding weather forecasts for astronomy

Finding Dark Skies

How to Find Dark Skies Near You

Using light pollution maps and the Bortle Scale

Best Dark Sky Parks in the USA

Top certified locations for stargazing across America

Stargazing in Texas

Big Bend, dark sky preserves, and the best spots in Texas

Stargazing in California

From Death Valley to Joshua Tree and beyond

Stargazing in Utah

The state with more dark sky parks than anywhere else

Stargazing in Arizona

Home to the first dark sky city and world-class observatories

Stargazing in Colorado

Mountain views and 12 certified dark sky locations

Calendars & Events

Milky Way Calendar 2025

Best dates to see the galactic core this year

New Moon Calendar 2025

Plan your stargazing around the darkest nights

Meteor Shower Calendar 2025

When to catch the Perseids, Geminids, and more

Astrophotography

Milky Way Photography Planning

How to plan the perfect Milky Way photo shoot

Check Tonight's Forecast

Weather data from Open-Meteo

Getting Started

  • How to See the Milky Way
  • Best Time to See
  • Moon Phases Guide
  • Cloud Cover & Weather

Find Dark Skies

  • Find Dark Skies Near You
  • Best Dark Sky Parks USA

Stargazing by State

  • Texas
  • California
  • Utah
  • Arizona
  • Colorado

Planning Tools

  • Milky Way Calendar 2025
  • New Moon Calendar 2025
  • Meteor Showers 2025
  • Photography Planning

Resources

  • All Guides

Weather data from Open-Meteo | Moon calculations powered by astronomical algorithms

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