Night Sky Platform

This Month in the Sky

A month-by-month planning aid for the observing year. The platform does not assume today's date — a live 'this month' view is prepared for a connected date-and-location provider; here is the perennial guide instead.

Night SkyPrepared for live data

Planning an observing month

To plan a month of observing: check the Moon's phase (a bright Moon washes out faint objects and meteors), note any meteor-shower peaks, and find a dark site with a clear horizon in the right direction. The highlights of the year fall in these months:

January

Quadrantids peak — The Quadrantids peak (night of 3–4 January), radiating from bootes.

April

Lyrids peak — The Lyrids peak (night of 22–23 April), radiating from lyra.

August

Perseids peak — The Perseids peak (night of 12–13 August), radiating from perseus.

December

December Solstice — The Sun reaches its southernmost point — the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere.
Geminids peak — The Geminids peak (night of 13–14 December), radiating from gemini.

For the full year, see the observing year and the observing calendar.

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