A moonless night with the galactic core in view: the best for seeing and photographing the Milky Way.
Night 3 · 7 May · El Pinacate
Sunset
19:20
Sunrise
05:45
Typical temperature
By day, up to about 33 °C; before dawn, about 14 °C.
Full darkness
20:50 to 04:10
Moon
Waxing crescent, 5% illuminated; sets at 21:15 and rises again at 07:15.
Milky Way
The core is above the horizon, in a dark sky, from 23:40 to 04:10.
A moonless night with the galactic core in view: the best for seeing and photographing the Milky Way.
Sonora time (UTC−7), calculated for the El Pinacate area; on the coast it may vary by a few minutes. Full darkness is when the Sun is more than 18° below the horizon and no longer brightens the sky. Temperatures: historical average for those dates at the Bahía de Kino, 1991–2012; Puerto Peñasco, 1991–2026; Organ Pipe Cactus, Arizona, 1991–2026 weather station (NOAA); not a forecast, and in the open desert the small hours can be a few degrees colder. Check the forecast a few days before you leave.
SimulatorThe El Pinacate sky, night by night
Drag to look around
Noche de Estrellas (new moon)
2026
2027
Dunas con la Luna (full moon)
2026
2027
Positions of the Sun, the Moon, the guide stars and the Milky Way calculated for the reserve, in Sonora time (UTC−7). The landscape is illustrative. Milky Way photograph: ESO/S. Brunier (CC BY 4.0).
Accept cookies and we will let you know on Instagram and Facebook about the departures you looked at, for example when places are running out.We measure visits with Google Analytics, not for advertising. Privacy notice