skies for days
pure skies. bright skies. night skies.
the santa fe effect
the skies
it’s kind of our thing around here. day or night, there’s usually some level of awesome involved.
did you know?
shhhh… new mexico is a (hidden) gem
pure skies
Over the years, Santa Fe has been nationally recognized for its high air quality and incredible sky views.
bright skies
The City Different enjoys 325 days of sun on average. Now that’s some vitamin D right there!
night skies
In 1999, New Mexico enacted the Night Sky Protection Act, making dark skies a priority for the health of all inhabitants.
starry skies
With limited artificial “skyglow”, enjoy darker skies than 80% of Americans typically experience.
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the 2022 chart
From special moons to meteor showers, we’ve compiled some fun info to help you plan your stay
january
temp average
highs 45°
lows 22°
temp actual 2020
highest 52°
lowest 14°
temp actual 2021
highest 50°
lowest 12°
2nd
sun ↑ 7:13 AM ↓ 5:02 PM
moon ↑ 7:22 AM ↓ 5:02 PM
new
daylight 9h 49M
special moon
2nd
super full moon
a full moon that appears larger and brighter than normal due to the moon being closer to earth
9th
sun ↑ 7:13 AM ↓ 5:08 PM
moon ↑ 11:53 AM ↓ n/a
q1
daylight 9h 55M
17th
sun ↑ 7:12 AM ↓ 5:15 PM
moon ↓ 7:17 AM ↑ 5:02 PM
full
daylight 10h 4M
25th
sun ↑ 7:08 AM ↓ 5:24 PM
moon ↑ 12:17 AM ↓ 11:33 PM
q3
daylight 10h 16M
31st
sun ↑ 7:04 AM ↓ 5:30 PM
moon ↑ 7:00 AM ↓ 5:00 PM
new
daylight 10h 26M
special moon
31st
black moon
a second full moon in any calendar month, typically occurring every 29 months or so depending on time zones
sky show
| SHOWER | BEST VIEWING | POINT OF ORIGIN | DATE OF MAXIMUM* | NO. PER HOUR** | ASSOCIATED COMET |
| Quadrantid | Predawn | North | Jan. 3-4 | 25 | N/A |
*May vary by one or two days **Moonless, rural sky
“Predawn” means between midnight and about an hour before morning twilight. Best time to view most major showers.
Quadrantid is the 1st of 3 most prominent showers in the calendar year
february
temp average
highs 49°
lows 25°
temp actual 2020
highest 58°
lowest 9°
temp actual 2021
highest 57°
lowest -3°
8th
sun ↑ 6:58 AM ↓ 5:38 PM
moon ↓12:35 AM ↑ 11:16 AM
q1
daylight 10h 40M
16th
sun ↑ 6:49 AM ↓ 5:46 PM
moon ↓ 7:11 AM ↑ 5:57 PM
full
daylight 10h 56M
23rd
sun ↑ 6:41 AM ↓ 5:53 PM
moon ↑ 12:27 AM ↓ 10:46 AM
q3
daylight 11h 11M
special moon
black moon
no new moon in a calendar month, only occurs in february and about every 19 years
march
temp average
highs 58°
lows 31°
temp actual 2020
highest 63°
lowest 25°
temp actual 2021
highest 68°
lowest 19°
2nd
sun ↑ 6:33 AM ↓ 5:59 PM
moon ↑ 6:52 AM ↓ 6:11 PM
new
daylight 11h 27M
10th
sun ↑ 6:22 AM ↓ 6:06 PM
moon ↓1:18 AM ↑ 11:02 AM
q1
daylight 11h 44M
18th
sun ↑ 7:11 AM ↓ 7:13 PM
moon ↓ 7:40 AM ↑ 7:55 PM
full
daylight 12h 2M
24th
sun ↑ 7:02 AM ↓ 7:18 PM
moon ↑ 1:40 AM ↓ 11:20 AM
q3
daylight 12h 16M
spring equinox
03.20.22
9:33 AM
The vernal equinox is the first of two yearly events when the length of day is nearly equal to length of night. The sun shines equally on the southern and northern hemispheres, and south of the equator enters the fall season while north of the equator enters spring season.
april
temp average
highs 66°
lows 37°
temp actual 2020
highest 82°
lowest 23°
temp actual 2021
highest 75°
lowest 27°
1st
sun ↑ 6:51 AM ↓ 7:24 PM
moon ↑ 7:17 AM ↓ 8:06 PM
new
daylight 12h 34M
9th
sun ↑ 6:40 AM ↓ 7:31 PM
moon ↓2:46 AM ↑12:25 PM
q1
daylight 12h 51M
16th
sun ↑ 6:30 AM ↓ 7:37 PM
moon ↓ 6:35 AM ↑ 7:51 PM
full
daylight 13h 6M
23rd
sun ↑ 6:22 AM ↓ 7:42 PM
moon ↑2:34 AM ↓12:27 PM
q3
daylight 13h 21M
30th
sun ↑ 6:14 AM ↓ 7:48 PM
moon ↑ 6:13 AM ↓ 7:56 PM
new
daylight 13h 35M
special moon
30th
black moon
a second full moon in any calendar month, typically occurring every 29 months or so depending on time zones
sky show
| SHOWER | BEST VIEWING | POINT OF ORIGIN | DATE OF MAXIMUM* | NO. PER HOUR** | ASSOCIATED COMET |
| Lyrid | Predawn | South | April 21-22 | 10 | Thatcher |
*May vary by one or two days **Moonless, rural sky
“Predawn” means between midnight and about an hour before morning twilight. Best time to view most major showers.
may
temp average
highs 75°
lows 45°
temp actual 2020
highest 86°
lowest 40°
temp actual 2021
highest 81°
lowest 37°
8th
sun ↑ 6:05 AM ↓ 7:55 PM
moon ↓2:04 AM ↑12:11 PM
q1
daylight 13h 49M
15th
sun ↑ 5:59 AM ↓ 8:00 PM
moon ↓ 5:36 AM ↑ 7:52 PM
full
daylight 14h 1M
special moon
total lunar eclipse sunday evening, may 15
duration 4h 59m
maximum 10:11 pm
a total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth, and moon are completely lined up resulting in earth’s shadow completely covering the moon
22nd
sun ↑ 5:55 AM ↓ 8:06 PM
moon ↑1:56 AM ↓12:37 PM
q3
daylight 14h 11M
30th
sun ↑ 5:51 AM ↓ 8:11 PM
moon ↑ 5:50 AM ↓ 8:48 PM
new
daylight 14h 21M
sky show
| SHOWER | BEST VIEWING | POINT OF ORIGIN | DATE OF MAXIMUM* | NO. PER HOUR** | ASSOCIATED COMET |
| Eta Aquarid | Predawn | SouthEast | May 4-5 | 10 | Halley |
*May vary by one or two days **Moonless, rural sky
“Predawn” means between midnight and about an hour before morning twilight. Best time to view most major showers.
june
temp average
highs 87°
lows 56°
temp actual 2020
highest 92°
lowest 39°
temp actual 2021
highest 95°
lowest 41°
7th
sun ↑ 5:48 AM ↓ 8:16 PM
moon ↓1:38 AM ↑ 1:02 PM
q1
daylight 14h 28M
14th
sun ↑ 5:48 AM ↓ 8:20 PM
moon ↓ 5:42 AM ↑ 9:09 PM
full
daylight 14h 32M
special moon
14TH
SUPER FULL MOON
a full moon that appears larger and brighter than normal due to the moon being closer to earth
20th
sun ↑ 5:49 AM ↓ 8:21 PM
moon ↑ 1:01 AM ↓ 12:39 PM
q3
daylight 14h 33M
28th
sun ↑ 5:51 AM ↓ 8:23 PM
moon ↑ 5:14 AM ↓ 8:32 PM
new
daylight 14h 32M
special moon
28TH
MINI NEW MOON
a new moon at the closest point to earth; no visible moon makes for great star watching
summer solstice
06.21.22
3:13 AM
The summer solstice occurs when the earth’s tilt toward the sun is at a maximum; the sun is at is highest point in the sky and it is the longest day of the year. The sun shines directly on the northern hemisphere and indirectly on the southern, and south of the equator enters the winter season while north of the equator enters summer season.
july
temp average
highs 88°
lows 60°
temp actual 2020
highest 97°
lowest 56°
temp actual 2021
highest 93°
lowest 56°
6th
sun ↑ 5:54 AM ↓ 8:22 PM
moon↓12:33 AM ↑ 12:55 PM
q1
daylight 14h 28M
13th
sun ↑ 5:58 AM ↓ 8:20 PM
moon ↓ 5:30 AM ↑ 8:54 PM
full
daylight 14h 22M
special moon
13TH
SUPER FULL MOON
a full moon that appears larger and brighter than normal due to the moon being closer to earth
20th
sun ↑ 6:03 AM ↓ 8:17 PM
moon ↑12:24 AM↓ 1:35 PM
q3
daylight 14h 14M
28th
sun ↑ 6:09 AM ↓ 8:11 PM
moon ↑ 5:50 AM ↓ 8:41 PM
new
daylight 14h 2M
sky show
| SHOWER | BEST VIEWING | POINT OF ORIGIN | DATE OF MAXIMUM* | NO. PER HOUR** | ASSOCIATED COMET |
| Delta Aquarid | Predawn | South | July 28-29 | 10 | N/A |
*May vary by one or two days **Moonless, rural sky
“Predawn” means between midnight and about an hour before morning twilight. Best time to view most major showers.
august
temp average
highs 86°
lows 58°
temp actual 2020
highest 93°
lowest 56°
temp actual 2021
highest 90°
lowest 54°
5th
sun ↑ 6:15 AM ↓ 8:04 PM
moon ↑ 2:01 PM ↓ N/A
q1
daylight 13h 49M
11th
sun ↑ 6:20 AM ↓ 7:58 PM
moon ↓5:33 AM ↑ 8:17 PM
full
daylight 13h 39M
18th
sun ↑ 6:25 AM ↓ 7:50 PM
moon ↓ 1:26 PM ↑ 11:51 PM
q3
daylight 13h 25M
27th
sun ↑ 6:32 AM ↓ 7:39 PM
moon ↑ 6:42 AM ↓ 8:15 PM
new
daylight 13h 7M
sky show
| SHOWER | BEST VIEWING | POINT OF ORIGIN | DATE OF MAXIMUM* | NO. PER HOUR** | ASSOCIATED COMET |
| Perseid | Predawn | NorthEast | Aug. 11-12 | 50 | Swift-Tuttle |
*May vary by one or two days **Moonless, rural sky
“Predawn” means between midnight and about an hour before morning twilight. Best time to view most major showers.
Perseid is the 2nd of 3 most prominent showers in the calendar year
september
temp average
highs 79°
lows 52°
temp actual 2020
highest 91°
lowest 33°
temp actual 2021
highest 91°
lowest 45°
3rd
sun ↑ 6:37 AM ↓ 7:29 PM
moon ↑ 2:12 PM ↓ 11:58 PM
q1
daylight 12h 52M
10th
sun ↑ 6:42 AM ↓ 7:19 PM
moon ↓6:49 AM ↑ 7:53 PM
full
daylight 12h 37M
17th
sun ↑ 6:48 AM ↓ 7:09 PM
moon ↓ 2:14 PM ↑ 11:47 PM
q3
daylight 12h 22M
25th
sun ↑ 6:54 AM ↓ 6:57 PM
moon ↑ 6:33 AM ↓ 7:10 PM
new
daylight 12h 4M
fall equinox
09.22.22
7:04 PM
The autumnal equinox is the second of two yearly events when the length of day is nearly equal to length of night. The sun shines equally on the southern and northern hemispheres, and south of the equator enters the spring season while north of the equator enters fall season.
october
temp average
highs 68°
lows 41°
temp actual 2020
highest 81°
lowest 13°
temp actual 2021
highest 75°
lowest 30°
2nd
sun ↑ 6:59 AM ↓ 6:47 PM
moon ↑ 2:19 PM ↓ 11:48 PM
q1
daylight 11h 48M
9th
sun ↑ 7:05 AM ↓ 6:38 PM
moon ↓6:45 AM ↑ 6:48 PM
full
daylight 11h 33M
17th
sun ↑ 7:11 AM ↓ 6:27 PM
moon ↓ 2:35 PM ↑ N/A
q3
daylight 11h 16M
25th
sun ↑ 7:18 AM ↓ 6:17 PM
moon ↑ 7:29 AM ↓ 6:34 PM
new
daylight 10h 59M
sky shows
| SHOWER | BEST VIEWING | POINT OF ORIGIN | DATE OF MAXIMUM* | NO. PER HOUR** | ASSOCIATED COMET |
| Draconid | Late evening | NorthWest | Oct. 8-10 | 6 | Giacobini / Zinner |
| Orionid | Predawn | South | Oct. 20-21 | 15 | Halley |
*May vary by one or two days **Moonless, rural sky
“Predawn” means between midnight and about an hour before morning twilight. Best time to view most major showers.
“Late evening” means approximately between 10 p.m. and midnight (or a little past)
november
temp average
highs 56°
lows 31°
temp actual 2020
highest 69°
lowest 19°
temp actual 2021
highest 68°
lowest 23°
1st
sun ↑ 7:25 AM ↓ 6:10 PM
moon ↑ 2:48 PM ↓ N/A
q1
daylight 10h 45M
8th
sun ↑ 6:32 AM ↓ 5:03 PM
moon ↓6:43 AM ↑ 5:16 PM
full
daylight 10h 32M
special moon
total lunar eclipse tuesday evening, november 8
duration 5h 41m
maximum 3:59 am
a total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth, and moon are completely lined up resulting in earth’s shadow completely covering the moon
16th
sun ↑ 6:39 AM ↓ 4:57 PM
moon ↓ 1:17 PM ↑ N/A
q3
daylight 10h 18M
23rd
sun ↑ 6:46 AM ↓ 4:53 PM
moon ↑ 6:29 AM ↓ 4:43 PM
new
daylight 10h 7M
30th
sun ↑ 6:53 AM ↓ 4:51 PM
moon ↑ 12:58 PM ↓ N/A
q1
daylight 9h 58M
sky shows
| SHOWER | BEST VIEWING | POINT OF ORIGIN | DATE OF MAXIMUM* | NO. PER HOUR** | ASSOCIATED COMET |
| Northern Taurid | Late evening | South | Nov. 11-12 | 3 | Encke |
| Leonid | Predawn | South | Nov. 16-17 | 10 | Tempel-Tuttle |
| Andromedid | Late evening | South | Nov. 25-27 | 5 | Biela |
*May vary by one or two days **Moonless, rural sky
“Predawn” means between midnight and about an hour before morning twilight. Best time to view most major showers.
“Late evening” means approximately between 10 p.m. and midnight (or a little past)
december
temp average
highs 45°
lows 23°
temp actual 2020
highest 54°
lowest 9°
temp actual 2021
highest 62°
lowest 12°
7th
sun ↑ 6:59 AM ↓ 4:51 PM
moon ↓6:38 AM ↑ 4:28 PM
full
daylight 9h 52M
16th
sun ↑ 7:06 AM ↓ 4:52 PM
moon ↓ 12:36 PM ↑ N/A
q3
daylight 9h 47M
23rd
sun ↑ 7:09 AM ↓ 4:55 PM
moon ↑ 7:42 AM ↓ 5:13 PM
new
daylight 9h 46M
special moon
23rd
super new moon
a new moon at the closest point to earth; no visible moon makes for great star watching
29th
sun ↑ 7:12 AM ↓ 4:59 PM
moon ↑ 11:57 PM ↓ N/A
q1
daylight 9h 47M
sky shows
| SHOWER | BEST VIEWING | POINT OF ORIGIN | DATE OF MAXIMUM* | NO. PER HOUR** | ASSOCIATED COMET |
| Geminid | All night | NorthEast | Dec. 13-14 | 75 | N/A |
| Ursid | Predawn | North | Dec. 21-22 | 5 | Tuttle |
*May vary by one or two days **Moonless, rural sky
“Predawn” means between midnight and about an hour before morning twilight. Best time to view most major showers.
Geminid is the 3rd of 3 most prominent showers in the calendar year
winter solstice
12.21.22
2:47 PM
The winter solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere when the sun is directly over the tropic of capricorn; it is the shortest day and longest night of the year. The sun shines directly on the southern hemisphere and indirectly on the northern, and south of the equator enters the summer season while north of the equator enters winter season.
rare events in santa fe in 2022: no blue moon and three black moons
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