Big Sur, California, USA

Saturday, July 26, 2025

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Big Sur, California, USA

Rocket launch

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-2

Launched - good from here

Lifted off 9:31 PM

Very LowExcellent
Look
SSE
Heading away from you
When
9:31 PM
Highest around 9:40 PM
Distance
132 mi
Climbs to
43°
Lighting
Twilight window
Launch site
Space Launch Complex 4E
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Landing
Sea - Of Course I Still Love You
Too far downrange to see

The sun is far enough down that the ground is dark and still high enough to light the plume: exhaust expanding into near-vacuum turns into a glowing bell visible for hundreds of miles.

Meteor shower

Southern Delta Aquariids

Best around 3:32 AM

Very LowExcellent
9:47 PM Dark enough
3:32 AM Best
4:40 AM Too light
Estimate
~14/hour
from a dark spot here
Radiant climbs to
37°
Under a perfect sky
25/hour
Moonlight
No interference
Speed
41 km/s

The estimate is how many you might really see from a dark spot here, allowing for how high the shower climbs and for moonlight. "Under a perfect sky" is the best case. The bar also counts the forecast cloud at the best time, so a clouded-out night sits at the bottom, as does rain on the radar now.

Stays near its best for several nights, not just one.

That morning

Sunrise

6:09 AM

6:09 AM

5:41 AM Blue hour
6:09 AM Sunrise
6:46 AM Golden hour ends

Sunset

8:17 PM

8:17 PM

Too far ahead for a weather forecast. These are the sun's own times - they will not change.

7:41 PM Golden hour
8:17 PM Sunset
8:46 PM Blue hour ends

Meteor shower

Perseids

Best around 3:47 AM

Very LowExcellent
9:47 PM Dark enough
3:47 AM Best
4:40 AM Too light
Estimate
~12/hour
from a dark spot here, off its peak night
Radiant climbs to
44°
Under a perfect sky
100/hour
Moonlight
No interference
Speed
59 km/s

The estimate is how many you might really see from a dark spot here, allowing for how high the shower climbs and for moonlight. "Under a perfect sky" is the best case. The bar also counts the forecast cloud at the best time, so a clouded-out night sits at the bottom, as does rain on the radar now.

The most dependable shower of the year, on warm summer nights in the north.

Milky Way

Milky Way

Excellent viewing

Visible from 9:59 PM

Very LowExcellent
Visible, no moon
9:59 PM to 2:09 AM
Where to look
Southern horizon, up to 25° above it
Highest at
10:29 PM
Sky fully dark
9:59 PM to 4:29 AM
Sky darkness
Fair
Cloud
Not forecast yet

The bright center of the Milky Way: when it is above the horizon with the sky fully dark and the Moon set, brought down for how dark the sky is here (estimated from the towns around by Walker's law) and for cloud where the forecast reaches.

Moon

Waxing crescent

5% lit

8:04 AM – 9:45 PM

ENE W
8:04 AM Moonrise
8:25 AM 4°
2:59 PM Highest, 67°
9:25 PM 4°
9:45 PM Moonset

Between the two 4° marks the Moon is clear of haze and most of what stands on the horizon.

Timetable

  • Morning blue hour 5:41 AM–6:09 AM
  • Morning best color 5:59 AM
  • Sunrise 6:09 AM
  • Morning golden hour 6:09 AM–6:46 AM
  • Moonrise 8:05 AM
  • Evening golden hour 7:41 PM–8:17 PM
  • Sunset 8:17 PM
  • Evening blue hour 8:17 PM–8:46 PM
  • Moonset 9:46 PM
  • Fully dark 9:59 PM–4:29 AM
  • Dark, no Moon 9:59 PM–4:29 AM

Upcoming celestial events for Big Sur, California, USA

Tiangong space station Modest pass, S to SE, 16 deg up
Wed 21 Oct 2026 7:19 PM Orionids Active, around 14 an hour
Wed 21 Oct 2026 7:53 PM Tiangong space station Bright pass, SW to SSW, 46 deg up
Thu 22 Oct 2026 7:55 PM Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-16 Fair, look SSE
Sat 24 Oct 2026 10:14 PM Full Hunter's Moon Rises 5:49 PM in the ENE Sun 25 Oct 2026 5:49 PM Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-18 Fair, look SSE
Tue 27 Oct 2026 9:31 PM Partial lunar eclipse 6% of the Moon in shadow
Tue 11 Jan 2028 8:13 PM Partial solar eclipse 54.1% of the Sun covered
Sun 14 Jan 2029 8:21 AM Total lunar eclipse 48% of it above your horizon
Mon 25 Jun 2029 8:22 PM Partial solar eclipse 0.9% of the Sun covered
Fri 14 Nov 2031 1:27 PM Partial solar eclipse 34.5% of the Sun covered
Wed 30 Mar 2033 10:20 AM Total lunar eclipse Totality lasts 78 minutes
Fri 7 Oct 2033 3:55 AM Partial solar eclipse 3.5% of the Sun covered
Sun 2 Sep 2035 7:33 PM Total lunar eclipse 45% of it above your horizon
Wed 6 Aug 2036 7:51 PM Partial solar eclipse 7.2% of the Sun covered
Thu 9 Apr 2043 11:41 AM Partial solar eclipse 81.6% of the Sun covered
Tue 23 Aug 2044 7:05 PM Partial solar eclipse 88.4% of the Sun covered
Sat 12 Aug 2045 9:17 AM

Every celestial event, and where else to see it