Big Sur, California, USA

Friday, October 23, 2026

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TODAY
Big Sur, California, USA

Rocket launch

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-16

Fair

Lifts off 10:29 PM

Window: 10:29 PM - 2:29 AM

Very LowExcellent
Look
SSE
Heading away from you
When
10:29 PM
Highest around 10:38 PM
Distance
132 mi
Climbs to
43°
Lighting
Dark sky
Cloud here
0% low, 0% high
Launch site
Space Launch Complex 4E
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Landing
Sea - Of Course I Still Love You
Too far downrange to see
Go / No Go
Go
No weather forecast yet
Video
▶ SpaceX
Mission
Communications
A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.

A bright climbing star and a flame. The vehicle is in shadow itself, so there is no lit plume behind it.

That morning

Sunrise

7:21 AM

7:21 AM

6:55 AM Blue hour
7:21 AM Sunrise
7:57 AM Golden hour ends

Sunset

6:21 PM

6:21 PM

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

5:45 PM Golden hour
6:21 PM Sunset
6:47 PM Blue hour ends

Meteor shower

Orionids

Active, around 7 an hour

Best around 5:21 AM

The night7:51 PM – 5:52 AM+1

Very LowExcellent
Radiant climbs to
70°
Under a perfect sky
20/hour
Moonlight
9% lost
Speed
66 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.

Also from Halley's Comet. Fast meteors that often leave glowing trails.

Satellite

Tiangong space station

Bright pass, SSW to E

Rises 6:56 PM

Very LowExcellent
Look
SSW
Rising, then up to SSE
When
6:56 PM
until 7:01 PM
Visible for
5m 10s
Highest
30° SSE
Ends
Sets E

Steady, silent, and about as fast as a high aircraft.

Satellite

Tiangong space station

Modest pass, W to W

Rises 8:32 PM

Very LowExcellent
Look
W
Rising, then up to W
When
8:32 PM
until 8:33 PM
Visible for
0m 50s
Highest
17° W
Ends
Fades at 17°

It will not set - it flies into the Earth's shadow and fades out in a few seconds.

Moon

Waxing gibbous

93% lit

4:51 PM – 5:44 AM

E W
4:51 PM Moonrise
5:11 PM 4°
11:15 PM Highest, 59°
5:24 AM 4°
5:44 AM Moonset

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

Timetable

  • Moonset 4:39 AM
  • Morning blue hour 6:55 AM–7:21 AM
  • Morning best color 7:18 AM
  • Sunrise 7:21 AM
  • Morning golden hour 7:21 AM–7:57 AM
  • Moonrise 4:51 PM
  • Evening golden hour 5:45 PM–6:21 PM
  • Sunset 6:21 PM
  • Evening blue hour 6:21 PM–6:47 PM
  • Fully dark 7:47 PM–5:56 AM
  • Dark, no Moon 5:47 AM–5:56 AM

Upcoming celestial events for Big Sur, California, USA

Full Hunter's Moon Rises 5:49 PM in the ENE Sun 25 Oct 2026 5:49 PM Southern Taurids A few an hour
Wed 4 Nov 2026 12:37 AM New moon Moonless and fully dark 6:40 PM to 5:10 AM Sun 8 Nov 2026 11:01 PM Northern Taurids A few an hour
Wed 11 Nov 2026 12:31 AM Leonids Around 13 an hour
Mon 16 Nov 2026 5:13 AM Full Beaver Moon Rises 3:58 PM in the ENE Mon 23 Nov 2026 3:58 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

Every celestial event, and where else to see it