Stargazing at Sierra de las Nieves National Park: when is the sky clear and dark?
August is the best month for stargazing at Sierra de las Nieves National Park: on average 88 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 41% of Europe’s land (NASA VIIRS 2025).
national park · Spain
Month by month
| Month | Nights with ≥ 2 such hours | Clear moonless dark hours | Moonless dark hours | Of them clear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35% | 65 | 173 | 37% |
| February | 33% | 50 | 142 | 35% |
| March | 32% | 53 | 144 | 37% |
| April | 28% | 42 | 117 | 36% |
| May | 39% | 51 | 100 | 51% |
| June | 49% | 60 | 92 | 66% |
| July | 59% | 80 | 95 | 84% |
| August | 56% | 88 | 118 | 75% |
| September | 42% | 67 | 132 | 50% |
| October | 32% | 51 | 156 | 32% |
| November | 38% | 67 | 168 | 40% |
| December | 34% | 59 | 173 | 34% |
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 than | 41% of Europe’s land |
|---|---|
| Light pollution | noticeable light glow |
| Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — Darkest spot we found | 5.54 |
| Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — at the official map point | 8.13 |
| Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — median across the area | 9.88 |
| Darkest spot we found | 36.792, -5.008 (map) — within the OSM boundary |
Next new moons
| New moon | Night | Moonless dark hours that night | Typical share of good nights that month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 November 2026 | 8–9 November 2026 | 10.7 | 38% |
| 9 December 2026 | 8–9 December 2026 | 11.2 | 34% |
| 7 January 2027 | 7–8 January 2027 | 11.2 | 35% |
| 6 February 2027 | 6–7 February 2027 | 10.5 | 33% |
| 8 March 2027 | 7–8 March 2027 | 9.5 | 32% |
| 6 April 2027 | 6–7 April 2027 | 8.2 | 28% |
| 6 May 2027 | 5–6 May 2027 | 6.8 | 39% |
| 4 June 2027 | 4–5 June 2027 | 5.8 | 49% |
| 4 July 2027 | 3–4 July 2027 | 5.7 | 59% |
| 2 August 2027 | 1–2 August 2027 | 6.7 | 56% |
| 31 August 2027 | 31 August 2027 – 1 September 2027 | 8.0 | 56% |
| 30 September 2027 | 29–30 September 2027 | 9.2 | 42% |
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
| Shower | Peak night | Chance of a clear peak night | Moon lit | Moonless dark hours (Sun < −12°) | Radiant max. height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonids | 17–18 November 2026 | 55% | 55% | 6.0 | 73° |
| Geminids * | 13–14 December 2026 | 37% | 21% | 9.5 | 86° |
| Geminids * | 14–15 December 2026 | 40% | 29% | 8.5 | 86° |
| Quadrantids | 3–4 January 2027 | 60% | 13% | 10.8 | 63° |
| Lyrids | 22–23 April 2027 | 43% | 95% | 1.2 | 87° |
| Eta Aquariids * | 5–6 May 2027 | 68% | 0% | 8.0 | 25° |
| Eta Aquariids * | 6–7 May 2027 | 68% | 1% | 8.0 | 26° |
| Perseids * | 12–13 August 2027 | 93% | 84% | 3.0 | 64° |
| Perseids * | 13–14 August 2027 | 90% | 91% | 2.0 | 64° |
| Orionids | 21–22 October 2027 | 47% | 58% | 3.8 | 69° |
| Leonids * | 17–18 November 2027 | 55% | 82% | 2.2 | 73° |
| Leonids * | 18–19 November 2027 | 57% | 72% | 3.3 | 73° |
| Geminids | 14–15 December 2027 | 40% | 98% | 0.0 | 86° |
* 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.