An International Dark Sky Park
Grand Canyon National Park is certified as an International Dark Sky Park; its programme combines lighting retrofits with education.
Source: National Park Service — Grand Canyon National ParkGrand Canyon night sky tonight
A Dark Sky Park on two rims — with different access, different views and the same Arizona clock all year.
Calculated for Mather Point, South Rim (36.061, -112.108)Local time MST (UTC−7)
Tonight at a glance · Fri 6 Nov
Stargazing assessment
Stargazing at Mather Point, South RimForecast
Go
Go outside now.
Use the remaining part of this window for bright stars; this is not a Milky Way, planet or meteor timing recommendation. Check the latest weather before travelling.
The Tonight engine selects this window because the sky holds clear, Moonlight doesn't affect the best viewing window. No earlier remaining scored hours are available for comparison; this does not establish that waiting is better.
Window cloud ≈2%; whole-night mean 2%. Moon altitude in the scored hours: -66°–0°. Cloud, darkness, Moon altitude and rain affect the timing; a full Moon can remain up throughout.
How to interpret this assessment
Go means conditions are usable; Wait is shown only when remaining earlier scored hours support a timing improvement; Later window means there is no demonstrated reason to delay. Neither label ranks places. The window is selected by hourly cloud, darkness, Moon altitude and rain, with whole-night context in the verdict. It is not a guarantee or proof that earlier hours are unusable. Artificial light, terrain, access and personal safety are not scored. The former confidence percentage was an uncalibrated internal heuristic using forecast coverage, cloud variation, rain and score margin — not the probability of clear weather or a successful outing. It is no longer shown here.
Whole-night context — not just the chosen window
- Only 2% cloud, night average
- Moon is nearly dark (5%)
- 10.6 h of full darkness
- Planets: 4 planets well above the haze
Sunset
17:28
Cloud at sunset: no forecast
Full darkness
18:55
Sun 18° below horizon
Best stargazing window
20:00–05:30
Inside astronomical darkness · Tonight engine
Night cloud
2%
Live forecast in use
Moon
5% lit
Waning Crescent · up ≈0% of dark hours
Milky Way core
18:55–19:03
peaks 6° high
Choose tonight’s experience
- General stargazing
- Go · 20:00–05:30. Use the forecast window and check the sky locally.
- Milky Way
- Check 18:55–19:03 above 5° (geometry only); verify cloud and local lighting.
- Planets
- Mars highest at 05:55 · Jupiter highest at 05:55 · Saturn highest at 21:55. Geometry only; check cloud at these times. A full Moon does not rule out bright planets.
- Meteors
- Skip tonight. The Orionids are active but tonight is 16 days after peak, so rates stay well below the headline ZHR of 20.
- Sunset
- Plan for 17:28 · cloud not confirmed. Colour and a clear local horizon are not predicted.
Compare the selected locations
Each place has its own forecast and calculation. Go and Wait describe timing, not a ranking of places. Compare the chosen window, not only the whole-night cloud average. Artificial light and access rules are not scored; a place marked “Sky conditions only” is not a visit recommendation.
| Place | Stargazing | Night cloud | Darkness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mather Point, South RimThe NPS-recommended stargazing point beside Grand Canyon Village, open all year. | GoSelected window 20:00–05:30. The Tonight engine selects this window because the sky holds clear, Moonlight doesn't affect the best viewing window. No earlier remaining scored hours are available for comparison; this does not establish that waiting is better.Scored conditionsWindow cloud ≈2%; whole-night mean 2%. Moon altitude in the scored hours: -66°–0°. Cloud, darkness, Moon altitude and rain affect the timing; a full Moon can remain up throughout. Live forecast in use. Calculated Fri 6 Nov, 20:05. | 2%Window ≈2% | Full dark from 18:55 |
| Desert View, South Rim (east)South Rim reference east of Grand Canyon Village; terrain horizons and photographic foreground alignment are not assessed. | GoSelected window 21:00–05:28. The Tonight engine selects this window because the sky holds clear, Moonlight doesn't affect the best viewing window. Compared with earlier remaining scored hours: less cloud (≈36% earlier → ≈8% in the window). Earlier observing is not ruled out.Scored conditionsWindow cloud ≈8%; whole-night mean 10%. Moon altitude in the scored hours: -66°–0°. Cloud, darkness, Moon altitude and rain affect the timing; a full Moon can remain up throughout. Live forecast in use. Calculated Fri 6 Nov, 20:05. | 10%Window ≈8% | Full dark from 18:54 |
| Cape Royal, North RimAstronomy only — not a visit recommendation. Check the North Rim closure notice. | Sky conditions only — check accessSky window 20:00–05:29. The Tonight engine selects this window because the sky holds clear, Moonlight doesn't affect the best viewing window. No earlier remaining scored hours are available for comparison; this does not establish that waiting is better.Scored conditionsWindow cloud ≈4%; whole-night mean 4%. Moon altitude in the scored hours: -66°–0°. Cloud, darkness, Moon altitude and rain affect the timing; a full Moon can remain up throughout. Live forecast in use. Calculated Fri 6 Nov, 20:05. | 4%Window ≈4% | Full dark from 18:54 |
Sunset and twilight
Evening of Fri 6 NovAstronomy
17:28
Sunset
17:54
Civil twilight ends
18:25
Nautical twilight ends
18:55
Astronomical darkness
Astronomical darkness begins at 18:55. Faint-star and Milky Way visibility also depends on cloud, Moon, artificial light and the local horizon. Morning: darkness ends 05:30, sunrise 06:57.
Times in America/Phoenix (MST, UTC−7). No daylight saving time in this zone.
Moon tonight
Fri 6 NovAstronomy
- Phase
- Waning Crescent · 5% lit
- Next moonrise
- Sat 7 Nov, 05:27 · east-southeast
- Next moonset
- Sat 7 Nov, 16:18 · west-southwest
- During the dark hours
- Below the horizon — no moonlight
- Next full Moon
- 24 November 2026
- Next new Moon
- 9 November 2026
The Moon is below the horizon in the sampled dark hours; cloud and local lighting still affect the sky.
Milky Way core
Galactic centre in SagittariusAstronomy
- Tonight
- 18:55–19:03, highest 6° in the southwest
- Highest point possible here
- 25° above the horizon
- Best months (dark-hours window)
- Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug
- Moonlight tonight
- Bright-Moon warning not triggered; check Moon timing above
The window needs astronomical darkness and the core at least 5° up. Core positions include refraction and are sampled each minute; these are timing estimates, not guaranteed visibility. Hills, trees and town glow near the horizon can still hide it.
Planets tonight
Above the horizon vs. easy to seeAstronomy
- MercuryUp tonight, but low or only in twilight
- VenusUp tonight, but low or only in twilight
- MarsFavourable geometry · best 05:55, 65° southeast
- JupiterFavourable geometry · best 05:55, 62° southeast
- SaturnFavourable geometry · best 21:55, 55° south
"Favourable geometry" means at least 10° up while the Sun is 12° or more below the horizon. Cloud, Moon and local obstructions are not included; positions are sampled every 15 minutes.
Meteor showers
Tonight · OrionidsForecast
Skip tonight
- Radiant
- 42° high in the east
- Ideal peak rate (ZHR)
- 20/hr — ideal conditions at peak, not a local count
- Modelled clear-sky rate
- ~0/hr
- Weather-adjusted rate
- ~0/hr
Rates are approximate modelled estimates, not measured or guaranteed counts. Observing windows use 30-minute samples: any start or end is approximate and may differ by almost 30 minutes from a continuous crossing. Radiants use fixed peak positions; daily radiant drift is not modelled. The model assumes a fixed, moderately dark sky; town light can cut what you see well below these figures.
Coming upAstronomy
- Leonidsreference maximum ≈ Tue 17 Nov, 16:45 local · IMO 2026
- Geminidsreference maximum ≈ Mon 14 Dec, 07:00 local · IMO 2026
- Quadrantidsreference maximum ≈ Sun 3 Jan, 20:25 local · IMO 2027
- Lyridsreference maximum ≈ Thu 22 Apr, 18:40 local · IMO 2027
- Eta Aquariidsreference maximum ≈ Thu 6 May, 02:00 local · IMO 2027
Year-specific IMO predictions, not guaranteed or observed peaks. Date-only maxima are not assigned an invented local hour. The rate model above still uses typical annual peak dates and fixed radiant positions; it does not model the published peak ranges or daily radiant drift.
Plan your trip: the next eight evenings
Lowest-cloud evening (weather only): Sat 7 Nov (lowest mean night cloud). The overall recommendation at the top also weighs moonlight and darkness, so it can name a different night. Cloud is shown only where the forecast covers the night. Values come from an eight-day forecast — the later evenings are less certain than the first, so check again close to the date.
| Evening | Sunset | Full dark | Moon | Night cloudForecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 6 Nov | 17:28 | 18:55 | 4% · down | 2% |
| Sat 7 NovLowest cloud | 17:27 | 18:54 | 1% · down | 0% |
| Sun 8 Nov | 17:26 | 18:54 | 0% · down | 0% |
| Mon 9 Nov | 17:25 | 18:53 | 1% · down | Beyond forecast |
| Tue 10 Nov | 17:24 | 18:52 | 4% · down | Beyond forecast |
| Wed 11 Nov | 17:23 | 18:52 | 8% · down | Beyond forecast |
| Thu 12 Nov | 17:23 | 18:51 | 14% · up ≈9% | Beyond forecast |
| Fri 13 Nov | 17:22 | 18:50 | 22% · up ≈18% | Beyond forecast |
Astronomy only. No weather is given for this selected date. Moon-up percentages are approximate 15-minute samples across astronomical darkness; Milky Way positions include refraction and one-minute sampling, not visibility guarantees.
Grand Canyon through the year
Astronomy on the 15th of each month — not a weather or climate forecast. Each core window uses astronomical darkness and its stated altitude threshold (10°, or a lower 5°/2° threshold when the core stays low). Low-altitude windows are marginal geometry, not equivalent to a 10° window or a visibility recommendation.Astronomy
| Month | Full darkness | Milky Way core in darkness |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.0 h | — |
| Feb | 10.2 h | 0.6 h above 10° · up to 15° |
| Mar | 9.2 h | 1.9 h above 10° · up to 22° |
| Apr | 7.8 h | 3.0 h above 10° · up to 25° |
| May | 6.5 h | 4.3 h above 10° · up to 25° |
| Jun | 5.7 h | 5.7 h above 10° · up to 25° |
| Jul | 6.1 h | 4.4 h above 10° · up to 25° |
| Aug | 7.4 h | 3.0 h above 10° · up to 25° |
| Sept | 8.7 h | 1.9 h above 10° · up to 22° |
| Oct | 9.9 h | 0.6 h above 10° · up to 15° |
| Nov | 10.8 h | — |
| Dec | 11.2 h | — |
Grand Canyon: the local guide
Sources are linked below. Tourism descriptions do not confirm current access, closures or safety. Sky calculations use an ideal horizon, not local mountain or building profiles.
South Rim: Mather Point, then farther east
The NPS recommends Mather Point, behind the Visitor Center, for stargazing in the South Rim village. Farther east it recommends Desert View, Moran Point and Lipan Point.
Source: National Park Service — Grand Canyon National ParkNorth Rim: Cape Royal
The NPS calls Cape Royal the best place to stargaze on the North Rim. This is a location recommendation, not confirmation of current access; check the North Rim status page before travelling.
Source: National Park Service — Grand Canyon National ParkThe South Rim is open around the clock
The South Rim, including Grand Canyon Village and Desert View, is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, though some facilities close in winter.
Source: National Park Service — Grand Canyon National ParkWait 90 minutes after sunset
The park advises stargazing at least 1.5 hours after sunset and at least 1.5 hours before sunrise, ideally near new or third-quarter Moon, with warm clothes even in summer and a red light.
Source: National Park Service — Grand Canyon National Park2026 Star Party: past event
The NPS listed the 2026 Grand Canyon Star Party for 6–13 June behind the South Rim Visitor Center, with no additional ticket beyond park entry. It stated there was no North Rim Star Party in 2026 because of the Dragon Bravo Fire. Check NPS for future event dates.
Source: National Park Service — Grand Canyon National ParkWhy this calculation point: The NPS-recommended stargazing point beside Grand Canyon Village, open all year.
Forecast fetched Fri 6 Nov, 20:06 local time · weather: Live forecast in use. Astronomy: astronomy-engine, twilight on the geometric Sun (USNO convention), times rounded to the nearest minute.