Home → Saudi Arabia Stargazing Calendar: Best Upcoming Dark Nights
Saudi Arabia Stargazing Calendar: Best Upcoming Dark Nights
This calendar scores each of the next 45 nights: how many hours of full astronomical darkness have no Moon above the horizon, how high the Milky Way core climbs, and how the Moon affects upcoming meteor shower peaks. It is astronomical only and does not include weather.
TonightThursday, 12 November 202691/100Moon-free dark: 9.0 h · Moon 12%Window: 20:00 – 05:00Best night in the next 14 daysThursday, 12 November 202691/100Moon-free dark: 9.0 h · Moon 12%Window: 20:00 – 05:00
Upcoming Moon phases
- Full Moon — Tuesday, 24 November 2026 (approx.)
- New Moon — Wednesday, 9 December 2026 (approx.)
- Full Moon — Thursday, 24 December 2026 (approx.)
- New Moon — Thursday, 7 January 2027 (approx.)
The next 45 nights
Green = excellent night (80+). A night starts on the evening of the listed date and ends at dawn the next day, Saudi time (UTC+3).
| Night of | Score | Moon | Moon-free dark | Window | Milky Way core |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 12 Nov | 91 | 12% | 9.0 h | 20:00 – 05:00 | below horizon |
| Fri 13 Nov | 83 | 19% | 8.2 h | 21:00 – 05:10 | below horizon |
| Sat 14 Nov | 75 | 27% | 7.3 h | 21:50 – 05:10 | below horizon |
| Sun 15 Nov | 65 | 35% | 6.5 h | 22:40 – 05:10 | below horizon |
| Mon 16 Nov | 55 | 45% | 5.7 h | 23:30 – 05:10 | below horizon |
| Tue 17 Nov | 45 | 55% | 4.8 h | 00:20 – 05:10 | below horizon |
| Wed 18 Nov | 36 | 64% | 4.0 h | 01:10 – 05:10 | below horizon |
| Thu 19 Nov | 24 | 74% | 3.0 h | 02:10 – 05:10 | below horizon |
| Fri 20 Nov | 15 | 82% | 2.2 h | 03:00 – 05:10 | below horizon |
| Sat 21 Nov | 5 | 90% | 1.3 h | 03:50 – 05:10 | below horizon |
| Sun 22 Nov | 0 | 95% | 0.3 h | 04:50 – 05:10 | below horizon |
| Mon 23 Nov | 0 | 99% | 0.0 h | none | below horizon |
| Tue 24 Nov | 0 | 100% | 0.0 h | none | below horizon |
| Wed 25 Nov | 0 | 98% | 0.0 h | none | below horizon |
| Thu 26 Nov | 0 | 93% | 0.5 h | 18:50 – 19:20 | 0° |
| Fri 27 Nov | 9 | 86% | 1.7 h | 18:50 – 20:30 | below horizon |
| Sat 28 Nov | 20 | 77% | 2.7 h | 18:50 – 21:30 | below horizon |
| Sun 29 Nov | 34 | 67% | 3.8 h | 18:50 – 22:40 | below horizon |
| Mon 30 Nov | 45 | 56% | 4.8 h | 18:50 – 23:40 | below horizon |
| Tue 1 Dec | 55 | 44% | 5.7 h | 18:50 – 00:30 | below horizon |
| Wed 2 Dec | 67 | 34% | 6.7 h | 18:50 – 01:30 | below horizon |
| Thu 3 Dec | 76 | 24% | 7.3 h | 19:00 – 02:20 | below horizon |
| Fri 4 Dec | 85 | 16% | 8.3 h | 19:00 – 03:20 | below horizon |
| Sat 5 Dec | 91 | 9% | 9.2 h | 19:00 – 04:10 | below horizon |
| Sun 6 Dec | 97 | 4% | 10.0 h | 19:00 – 05:00 | below horizon |
| Mon 7 Dec | 100 | 1% | 10.3 h | 19:00 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Tue 8 Dec | 100 | 0% | 10.3 h | 19:00 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Wed 9 Dec | 100 | 1% | 10.3 h | 19:00 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Thu 10 Dec | 100 | 3% | 10.3 h | 19:00 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Fri 11 Dec | 95 | 7% | 9.7 h | 19:40 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Sat 12 Dec | 89 | 13% | 8.8 h | 20:30 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Sun 13 Dec | 80 | 20% | 7.8 h | 21:30 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Mon 14 Dec | 71 | 28% | 7.0 h | 22:20 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Tue 15 Dec | 61 | 37% | 6.2 h | 23:10 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Wed 16 Dec | 51 | 47% | 5.3 h | 00:00 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Thu 17 Dec | 42 | 58% | 4.5 h | 00:50 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Fri 18 Dec | 32 | 68% | 3.7 h | 01:40 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Sat 19 Dec | 20 | 78% | 2.7 h | 02:40 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Sun 20 Dec | 9 | 86% | 1.7 h | 03:40 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Mon 21 Dec | 0 | 93% | 0.5 h | 04:50 – 05:20 | below horizon |
| Tue 22 Dec | 0 | 98% | 0.0 h | none | below horizon |
| Wed 23 Dec | 0 | 100% | 0.0 h | none | below horizon |
| Thu 24 Dec | 0 | 99% | 0.0 h | none | below horizon |
| Fri 25 Dec | 0 | 95% | 0.3 h | 19:00 – 19:20 | below horizon |
| Sat 26 Dec | 5 | 89% | 1.3 h | 19:00 – 20:20 | below horizon |
Upcoming meteor shower peaks and moonlight
Peak dates are approximate (evening of the listed night) based on the International Meteor Organization calendar. ZHR assumes a perfect sky and is not what you will actually see.
| Shower | Night of | Theoretical rate (ZHR) | Moon | Moon-free dark | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonids | Tuesday, 17 November 2026 | 10–15 | 55% | 4.8 h | Fair Usually modest rates; best before dawn. |
| Geminids | Sunday, 13 December 2026 | 150 | 20% | 7.8 h | Excellent Usually the strongest shower of the year; active from evening to dawn. |
| Ursids | Tuesday, 22 December 2026 | 10 | 98% | 0.0 h | Washed out by Moon A minor shower; the radiant sits low from southern latitudes. |
| Quadrantids | Sunday, 3 January 2027 | 80–120 | 14% | 8.7 h | Excellent Very short peak; the radiant rises after midnight. |
| Lyrids | Thursday, 22 April 2027 | 18 | 95% | 0.3 h | Washed out by Moon Best in the pre-dawn hours. |
| Eta Aquariids | Wednesday, 5 May 2027 | 50 | 1% | 8.7 h | Excellent Southern latitudes like Saudi Arabia suit it before dawn. |
| Perseids | Thursday, 12 August 2027 | 100 | 83% | 2.3 h | Washed out by Moon The classic summer shower; heat and humidity affect comfort. |
| Orionids | Thursday, 21 October 2027 | 20 | 60% | 3.8 h | Fair Best after midnight. |
How it works
We use the same astronomy models as the planner: Sun, Moon and galactic-centre positions every 10 minutes for the city coordinates. “Moon-free dark” = Sun below −18° and Moon below the horizon. Moon phase times are approximate to within a few hours. Clouds, dust and the light pollution at your exact spot are not included.
Reference source: International Meteor Organization — meteor shower calendar. We summarise the key point and do not republish the source’s content.
Important: The astronomical result does not include live weather, road conditions or access rights. Check official sources and current conditions before heading out.