Dark Sky Odds

Stargazing at Oiti National Park: when is the sky clear and dark?

August is the best month for stargazing at Oiti National Park: on average 87 clear, moonless hours of full darkness, and 56% of nights have at least two of them (ERA5, 2006–2025). The darkest spot we found there is darker than 43% of Europe’s land (NASA VIIRS 2025).

Data updated: 31 December 2025 · Sources and licences

Calculated 5 November 2026 · cloud cover ERA5 2006–2025 · night lights NASA VIIRS 2025

national park · Greece

AugustBest month
544Clear moonless dark hours a year
43%darker than … of Europe’s land
56%Nights with ≥ 2 such hours (August)

Month by month

MonthNights with ≥ 2 such hoursClear moonless dark hoursMoonless dark hoursOf them clear
January17%2717615%
February19%3014620%
March22%3014022%
April26%3611731%
May26%329434%
June43%529257%
July58%789582%
August56%8711477%
September40%5912846%
October27%4215727%
November22%3816723%
December20%3318618%

Climate, not a forecast: these are shares of past nights (ERA5 reanalysis, 2006–2025), not a prediction for a particular night. Check a forecast before you go.

Light pollution

Darker than43% of Europe’s land
Light pollutionnoticeable light glow
Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — Darkest spot we found5.02
Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — at the official map point6.95
Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — median across the area8.07
Darkest spot we found38.808, 22.275 (map) — within 3.4 km of the Wikidata point (no OSM boundary)

Next new moons

New moonNightMoonless dark hours that nightTypical share of good nights that month
9 November 20268–9 November 202610.722%
9 December 20268–9 December 202611.320%
7 January 20277–8 January 202711.317%
6 February 20276–7 February 202710.719%
8 March 20277–8 March 20279.522%
6 April 20276–7 April 20278.026%
6 May 20276–7 May 20276.526%
4 June 20274–5 June 20275.543%
4 July 20273–4 July 20275.358%
2 August 20271–2 August 20276.356%
31 August 202731 August 2027 – 1 September 20277.856%
30 September 202729–30 September 20279.240%

Hours with the Sun below −18° and the Moon below the horizon, on the night of the new moon, at the darkest spot.

Meteor showers

ShowerPeak nightChance of a clear peak nightMoon litMoonless dark hours (Sun < −12°)Radiant max. height
Leonids17–18 November 202632%54%6.071°
Geminids *13–14 December 202628%20%9.584°
Geminids *14–15 December 202622%28%8.584°
Quadrantids3–4 January 202735%13%10.864°
Lyrids22–23 April 202738%95%1.285°
Eta Aquariids *5–6 May 202743%0%7.824°
Eta Aquariids *6–7 May 202748%0%7.825°
Perseids *12–13 August 202787%84%3.064°
Perseids *13–14 August 202785%90%2.266°
Orionids21–22 October 202755%59%3.767°
Leonids *17–18 November 202732%82%2.071°
Leonids *18–19 November 202732%73%3.271°
Geminids14–15 December 202722%98%0.084°

* The peak falls in daylight in Europe, so both neighbouring nights are shown.

Clear peak night: at least 2 hours with ≤ 20 % cloud while the Sun is below −12°, on the same calendar night ± 1 in 2006–2025.

How we calculate