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Night sky tonight in Palo Alto, California

Whether tonight is worth going out for in Palo Alto, and when: the darkest hours, the Moon, the planets you can see, meteor showers, northern lights chances, ISS passes and the cloud forecast, all worked out for Palo Alto's position (37.40° N) in local time.

Tonight in Palo Alto

Working out tonight's sky for Palo Alto…

Best nights for stargazing in Palo Alto, month by month

The darkest nights come in a run around each New Moon, when the Moon stays below the horizon for most of the night. These are the nights in Palo Alto when it is down for at least 60% of full darkness (astronomical night, Sun 18° or more below the horizon).

MonthMoon-free nightsEvening planetsMorning planets
November 2026Nov 2–10, Nov 12–15SaturnVenus, Jupiter, Mars
December 2026Dec 2–14, Dec 31SaturnVenus, Jupiter, Mars
January 2027Jan 1–13, Jan 29–31Jupiter, SaturnVenus, Jupiter, Mars
February 2027Feb 1–11, Feb 27–28Jupiter, Mars, SaturnVenus, Jupiter, Mars
March 2027Mar 1–12, Mar 28–31Jupiter, MarsJupiter, Mars
April 2027Apr 1–10, Apr 27–30Jupiter, Mars—
May 2027May 1–9, May 28–31Jupiter, Mars—
June 2027Jun 1–8, Jun 29–30Jupiter, MarsSaturn
July 2027Jul 1–10, Jul 29–31MarsSaturn
August 2027Aug 1–9, Aug 27–31MarsSaturn
September 2027Sep 1–7, Sep 25–30Saturn, MarsSaturn
October 2027Oct 1–6, Oct 24–31SaturnJupiter, Saturn
November 2027Nov 1–4, Nov 21–30SaturnJupiter, Saturn
December 2027Dec 1–3, Dec 20–31Venus, SaturnJupiter

Planets listed are at least 10° up after dusk (evening) or before dawn (morning) in mid-month; Uranus and Neptune need binoculars or a telescope and are left out.

Meteor showers from Palo Alto

Peak nights in Palo Alto's time zone, with the hours when each shower's radiant is highest in a dark sky, the most meteors you could see under dark skies at that time, and how much the Moon gets in the way.

ShowerPeak nightBest hoursUp to / hourMoonOutlook
Southern TauridsWed, Nov 4, 202610:25 PM–2:55 AM616% Moon, down during the best hoursFair
Northern TauridsWed, Nov 11, 202610:40 PM–2:40 AM5Thin or no MoonFair
LeonidsTue, Nov 17, 20264:16 AM–5:56 AM1458% Moon, down during the best hoursFair
GeminidsSun, Dec 13, 202612:33 AM–3:43 AM15023% Moon, down during the best hoursExcellent
UrsidsTue, Dec 22, 20261:57 AM–6:27 AM899% Moon up all through the best hoursPoor
QuadrantidsSun, Jan 3, 20274:45 AM–6:25 AM71Thin or no MoonExcellent
LyridsThu, Apr 22, 20273:41 AM–5:31 AM1894% Moon up all through the best hoursFair
Eta AquariidsWed, May 5, 20274:35 AM–5:15 AM22Thin or no MoonGood
Southern Delta AquariidsFri, Jul 30, 202712:23 AM–5:13 AM15Thin or no MoonFair
Alpha CapricornidsFri, Jul 30, 202710:13 PM–4:03 AM3Thin or no MoonPoor
PerseidsThu, Aug 12, 20273:16 AM–5:26 AM9087% Moon, down during the best hoursExcellent
DraconidsFri, Oct 8, 20277:38 PM–9:28 PM467% Moon up all through the best hoursPoor
OrionidsThu, Oct 21, 20273:20 AM–6:30 AM1955% Moon up all through the best hoursFair
Southern TauridsFri, Nov 5, 202712:25 AM–3:55 AM650% Moon up for part of the best hoursFair
Northern TauridsFri, Nov 12, 202710:39 PM–2:39 AM599% Moon up all through the best hoursPoor
LeonidsWed, Nov 17, 20274:16 AM–5:56 AM1479% Moon up all through the best hoursFair
GeminidsMon, Dec 13, 202712:43 AM–3:43 AM15099% Moon up all through the best hoursFair
UrsidsWed, Dec 22, 20271:57 AM–6:27 AM820% Moon up for part of the best hoursFair

"Up to" is the zenithal rate scaled to the radiant's height; light pollution and haze reduce it, often to a third or less in a city. See how to watch a meteor shower.

Eclipses visible from Palo Alto

  • January 14, 2029: partial solar eclipse, 56% of the Sun covered at most, already under way at sunrise, greatest at 8:22 AM, ends 9:44 AM.
  • March 30, 2033: partial solar eclipse, 38% of the Sun covered at most, from 9:24 AM, greatest at 10:22 AM, ends 11:25 AM.
  • September 1, 2035: partial solar eclipse, 9% of the Sun covered at most, from 7:24 PM, greatest at 7:55 PM, still in progress at sunset.

Solar eclipses must only be watched through certified eclipse glasses or a solar filter.

Sunset, darkness and sunrise in Palo Alto

Full darkness starts when astronomical twilight ends, about 70 to 110 minutes after sunset depending on the season. Times are local and include daylight saving time.

4 h8 h12 h NovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Hours of full darkness in Palo Alto, 1st and 15th of each month.
DateSunsetDark fromDark untilSunriseFull darkness
Nov 1, 20265:10 PM6:39 PM5:06 AM6:35 AM10.5 h
Dec 1, 20264:51 PM6:23 PM5:33 AM7:05 AM11.2 h
Jan 1, 20275:02 PM6:35 PM5:50 AM7:23 AM11.2 h
Feb 1, 20275:33 PM7:02 PM5:42 AM7:11 AM10.7 h
Mar 1, 20276:02 PM7:29 PM5:12 AM6:38 AM9.7 h
Apr 1, 20277:31 PM9:00 PM5:24 AM6:53 AM8.4 h
May 1, 20277:58 PM9:37 PM4:34 AM6:12 AM7 h
Jun 1, 20278:24 PM10:14 PM3:58 AM5:49 AM5.7 h
Jul 1, 20278:33 PM10:26 PM3:59 AM5:52 AM5.5 h
Aug 1, 20278:16 PM9:58 PM4:32 AM6:14 AM6.6 h
Sep 1, 20277:37 PM9:09 PM5:09 AM6:40 AM8 h
Oct 1, 20276:52 PM8:18 PM5:38 AM7:05 AM9.3 h
Nov 1, 20276:11 PM7:39 PM6:06 AM7:34 AM10.5 h
Dec 1, 20274:51 PM6:23 PM5:32 AM7:05 AM11.1 h

Northern lights from Palo Alto

Palo Alto lies at 43° geomagnetic latitude. Aurora usually becomes visible low in the northern sky here when the Kp index reaches about 8.4 (a NOAA G4 storm or stronger). The card above compares tonight's NOAA forecast with that level. See northern lights in California for the best places to watch.

Dark skies near Palo Alto

There is no certified dark-sky place within 300 miles of Palo Alto. Look for state parks or open farmland away from the city's light dome, with a clear view to the south (and to the north for aurora).

All dark-sky places in California

Questions and answers

When is the best time to see the Geminids from Palo Alto in 2026?

On the night of Sun, Dec 13, from about 12:33 AM to 3:43 AM, when the radiant is highest in Palo Alto's dark sky. Under a dark sky you could see up to about 150 meteors an hour at the best time; city lights cut that a lot. 23% Moon, down during the best hours.

Can you see the northern lights from Palo Alto?

Yes, during geomagnetic storms of about Kp 8.4 or stronger (NOAA G4), when the aurora can appear low on the northern horizon. Palo Alto is at 43° geomagnetic latitude. A phone camera often shows the glow before your eyes do.

When are the darkest nights in Palo Alto?

Around each New Moon, when the Moon is out of the sky for most of the night. In December 2026 the moon-free stretch is Dec 2–14 and Dec 31. The longest astronomical night of the period is Dec 10, with 11.3 h of full darkness.

Nearby cities

All cities in California

Sources and methods