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Sky almanac

The night sky in September 2026

In September 2026, the darkest skies fall around the New Moon on the 11th.

Moon phases

The Moon sets the rhythm of the month — the New Moon brings the darkest skies for faint objects, the Full Moon the brightest nights. Dates are in UTC and may shift a day in your time zone.

Last QuarterSep 4
New MoonSep 11
First QuarterSep 18
Full MoonSep 26

Turn this month into a plan for your sky — Stella has the exact times, weather, and dark sites.

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Next steps

Plan the best nights in September 2026.

Use the almanac with protected places, eclipse paths, dark-sky stays, and the practical tonight guide.

Dark-sky mapFind protected places

Browse parks, reserves, communities, observatories, and planetariums by darkness and region.

Open routeEclipse travelCompare eclipse paths

Use the 2024-2035 catalog to pair path timing with nearby dark-sky stays.

Open routeStargazing staysSleep near the sky

Explore observatory hotels, aurora lodges, astrofarms, and dark-sky resorts.

Open routeTonight guideKnow what to look for

Start with the practical guide, then use Stella for the exact window where you are.

Open route

Best-placed constellations this month

Southern sky

Aquarius

A large but faint autumn constellation hiding two fine planetary nebulae.

Equatorial

Aquila

The Eagle flying up the Milky Way, led by Altair — the third corner of the Summer Triangle.

Northern sky

Cygnus

The Northern Cross flying down the Milky Way — one corner of the Summer Triangle.

Northern sky

Pegasus

The Great Square — autumn's giant signpost and a launch point for finding Andromeda.

Monthly briefing
The September 2026 night sky: what to see this month
← August 2026October 2026 →

Read next

Getting started

What to look at in the night sky tonight

A simple, no-telescope routine for finding the best things overhead on any clear night.

Dark skies

How to read the Bortle scale (and find darker skies)

What Bortle 1 through 9 actually means for what you'll see — and how to find a darker site near you.

Conditions

Seeing vs transparency: the conditions that decide your night

Two different things stargazers confuse — and why a clear sky isn't always a good sky.

Planning

How to plan a stargazing trip

Turn a clear forecast into a great night out: site, timing, gear, and a backup plan.