Big Sur, California, USA

Friday, July 31, 2026

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Big Sur, California, USA

Rocket launch

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-52

Launched - fair from here

Lifted off 8:08 PM

Very LowExcellent
Look
SSE
Heading away from you
When
8:08 PM
Highest around 8:17 PM
Distance
132 mi
Climbs to
43°
Lighting
Sky still bright
Launch site
Space Launch Complex 4E
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Landing
Sea - Of Course I Still Love You
Too far downrange to see

The plume will be lit, but the sky behind it is still bright enough to wash it out. Twenty minutes later would be the shot.

That morning

Sunrise

6:13 AM

6:13 AM

5:45 AM Blue hour
6:13 AM Sunrise
6:49 AM Golden hour ends

Sunset

8:13 PM

8:13 PM

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

7:37 PM Golden hour
8:13 PM Sunset
8:42 PM Blue hour ends

Meteor shower

Perseids

Active, around 6 an hour

Best around 4:43 AM

The night9:43 PM – 4:44 AM+1

Very LowExcellent
Radiant climbs to
54°
Under a perfect sky
100/hour
Moonlight
74% lost
Speed
59 km/s

The rate at the top 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.

Moon

Waning gibbous

95% lit

9:30 PM – 9:13 AM

ESE W
9:30 PM Moonrise
9:50 PM 4°
3:21 AM Highest, 48°
8:53 AM 4°
9:13 AM Moonset

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

Timetable

  • Morning blue hour 5:45 AM–6:13 AM
  • Morning best color 6:03 AM
  • Sunrise 6:13 AM
  • Morning golden hour 6:13 AM–6:49 AM
  • Moonset 8:11 AM
  • Evening golden hour 7:37 PM–8:13 PM
  • Sunset 8:13 PM
  • Evening blue hour 8:13 PM–8:42 PM
  • Moonrise 9:31 PM
  • Fully dark 9:53 PM–4:34 AM
  • Dark, no Moon Not tonight - the Moon is up

Upcoming celestial events for Big Sur, California, USA

Orionids Active, around 15 an hour
Mon 19 Oct 2026 7:56 PM International Space Station Modest pass, NNW to N, 12 deg up
Tue 20 Oct 2026 6:03 AM Orionids Around 18 an hour
Tue 20 Oct 2026 7:54 PM Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-16 Fair, look SSE
Fri 23 Oct 2026 10:29 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