Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve stargazing: best night for your trip
Gold-tier reserve on the Ring of Kerry. Cloud is the main enemy. The moon is the big variable: a bright moon hides the Milky Way. Enter your dates to rank every night.
Mon 2 Nov to Tue 1 Dec 2026
Best night: Fri 6 November 2026
Dark from 19:00 to 05:49 · 10.8 h without the moon · Milky Way core: below horizon
| Night of | Moon | Dark hours | Moon-free | Milky Way core | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2 Nov | 38% | 10.7 | 5.3 | below horizon | 84 |
| Tue 3 Nov | 27% | 10.8 | 6.8 | below horizon | 91 |
| Wed 4 Nov | 18% | 10.8 | 8.3 | below horizon | 96 |
| Thu 5 Nov | 10% | 10.8 | 9.7 | below horizon | 99 |
| Fri 6 Nov | 5% | 10.8 | 10.8 | below horizon | 100 |
| Sat 7 Nov | 2% | 11.0 | 11.0 | below horizon | 100 |
| Sun 8 Nov | 0% | 11.0 | 11.0 | below horizon | 100 |
| Mon 9 Nov | 1% | 11.0 | 11.0 | below horizon | 100 |
| Tue 10 Nov | 3% | 11.2 | 11.2 | below horizon | 100 |
| Wed 11 Nov | 7% | 11.2 | 11.2 | below horizon | 100 |
| Thu 12 Nov | 13% | 11.2 | 11.2 | below horizon | 100 |
| Fri 13 Nov | 20% | 11.2 | 10.5 | below horizon | 99 |
| Sat 14 Nov | 28% | 11.3 | 9.3 | below horizon | 96 |
| Sun 15 Nov | 37% | 11.3 | 8.2 | below horizon | 91 |
| Mon 16 Nov | 46% | 11.3 | 6.8 | below horizon | 84 |
| Tue 17 Nov | 56% | 11.3 | 5.7 | below horizon | 76 |
| Wed 18 Nov | 66% | 11.5 | 4.5 | below horizon | 66 |
| Thu 19 Nov | 75% | 11.5 | 3.2 | below horizon | 54 |
| Fri 20 Nov | 84% | 11.5 | 1.8 | below horizon | 40 |
| Sat 21 Nov | 91% | 11.5 | 0.5 | below horizon | 26 |
| Sun 22 Nov | 96% | 11.7 | 0.0 | below horizon | 18 |
| Mon 23 Nov | 99% | 11.7 | 0.0 | below horizon | 16 |
| Tue 24 Nov | 100% | 11.7 | 0.0 | below horizon | 15 |
| Wed 25 Nov | 97% | 11.7 | 0.0 | below horizon | 17 |
| Thu 26 Nov | 92% | 11.7 | 0.0 | below horizon | 21 |
| Fri 27 Nov | 85% | 11.8 | 0.5 | below horizon | 31 |
| Sat 28 Nov | 76% | 11.8 | 2.0 | below horizon | 46 |
| Sun 29 Nov | 65% | 11.8 | 3.5 | below horizon | 61 |
| Mon 30 Nov | 54% | 11.8 | 5.0 | below horizon | 73 |
| Tue 1 Dec | 43% | 11.8 | 6.3 | below horizon | 83 |
Best night each month
| Month | New moon | Best night | Good nights | Core on best night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | 9 Nov | Fri 6 Nov | 16 | not visible |
| December 2026 | 9 Dec | Sat 5 Dec | 18 | not visible |
| January 2027 | 7 Jan | Sun 3 Jan | 18 | not visible |
| February 2027 | 6 Feb | Mon 1 Feb | 15 | not visible |
| March 2027 | 8 Mar | Tue 2 Mar | 18 | not visible |
| April 2027 | 7 Apr | Thu 1 Apr | 16 | not visible |
| May 2027 | 6 May | Sat 1 May | 11 | not visible |
| June 2027 | 4 Jun | no dark nights | 0 | not visible |
| July 2027 | 4 Jul | Sat 31 Jul | 6 | not visible |
| August 2027 | 2 Aug, 31 Aug | Sun 1 Aug | 16 | not visible |
| September 2027 | 30 Sep | Mon 27 Sep | 15 | not visible |
| October 2027 | 29 Oct | Sat 2 Oct | 18 | not visible |
Tours
Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve stargazing by month
How nights are scored
We count the hours of full astronomical darkness (sun 18° below the horizon), subtract the time the moon is up weighted by how much of it is lit, and add a little for longer nights. "Milky Way core" counts dark, moon-free hours when the galactic centre is more than 10° above the horizon. Weather is not included; check a cloud forecast a few days out.
Times are local (Europe/Dublin).