New Mexico Dark-Sky Calendar, October 2026 to September 2027

Yes. New Mexico has a state law formally named the Night Sky Protection Act. The current compiled statute generally requires outdoor lighting fixtures installed after January 1, 2000, to be shielded, with listed exceptions and exemptions for certain low-wattage and special-use lighting. Its stated purposes include preserving New Mexico’s dark sky, promoting safety, conserving energy, and supporting astronomy.

The statewide lighting law does not guarantee that a viewing site will be dark, open, or accessible on a particular night. Use the calendar for moonlight planning, then check the land manager’s current hours and restrictions.

There is no single measured answer, and this calendar does not invent one. The nine certified places in New Mexico were certified to protect different kinds of setting, so a certification describes what a place protects rather than ranking it against the others. The most remote of them is Cosmic Campground in Gila National Forest, designated an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2016 and identified by the Forest Service as the first in North America and the first on National Forest System land, with the nearest significant source of artificial light more than 40 miles away across the Arizona state line.

For a viewing night, use the certification as one layer and the calendar as another. At our September 29, 2026 check, the Forest Service listed Cosmic Campground open year-round after a temporary closure earlier in September. Clayton Lake also has overnight camping, while other places have designated viewing areas, campground rules or scheduled programs. Chaco’s unpaved access roads can become impassable when wet, and several places allow after-dark visits only during scheduled programs. Choose a moonlight window, then confirm current access and weather.

The calendar runs from October 2026 through September 2027. Each month begins with the preformatted date and time of the new moon and full moon. The table then gives every certified place its moonless evening window and two samples for the start of astronomical darkness, one on the first day of the month and one on the fifteenth.

An evening enters the moonless window when the Moon is below the horizon for the two hours after astronomical dusk, or when it is under 20% illuminated. A month can contain two separate ranges. Each range is shown on its own line exactly as calculated for that place.

All displayed times use America/Denver local time. The dates and times were calculated with Astronomy Engine and validated against the U.S. Naval Observatory.

Use the result as a moonlight-planning layer, not an access or weather forecast. A row can identify a dark evening at a place whose gate is closed. Check the official place page for hours, campground access, scheduled programs, restrictions, and closures before choosing the destination.

Bring a red light. The Forest Service asks for one at Cosmic Campground, because white light spoils night vision for 20 to 30 minutes. Our beginner guide compares binoculars and telescopes. Check roads and weather before a remote drive.