· By Shinpei Tsubogami
The Best Time and Season for Stargazing on Ishigaki Island
You can see the stars all year. The Milky Way peaks July–September, the Southern Cross January–May (best April–May), and the clearest months are July and August. The moon matters more than the season: nights near the new moon have the most stars.
Ishigaki's night sky is worth seeing all year: the Milky Way in summer, the Southern Cross from winter to early summer. But the moon matters more than the season. Nights near the new moon, or the hours after moonset, show the most stars.
Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, which includes Ishigaki, became Japan's first Dark Sky Place (provisional) in 2018. It is said that 84 of the 88 constellations can be seen from the Yaeyama Islands.
Highlights by season
| Season | Highlights | Weather |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | Winter constellations, Southern Cross before dawn | Often cloudy, cool nights |
| Spring (Mar–May) | Southern Cross, Milky Way before dawn, fireflies (Apr–May) | Rainy season from about mid-May |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | Milky Way from early night | Clear after the rainy season; watch for typhoons |
| Autumn (Sep–Nov) | Evening Milky Way (until Oct), autumn constellations | Typhoons in Sep; more clouds from Nov |
Temperature, sunshine and clouds by month
| Month | Avg. temp | Sunshine | Cloud cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18.9°C | 85 h | 8.2 |
| Feb | 19.4°C | 91 h | 8.0 |
| Mar | 20.9°C | 118 h | 7.8 |
| Apr | 23.4°C | 130 h | 7.8 |
| May | 25.9°C | 164 h | 7.6 |
| Jun | 28.4°C | 213 h | 7.4 |
| Jul | 29.6°C | 261 h | 6.4 |
| Aug | 29.4°C | 233 h | 6.4 |
| Sep | 28.2°C | 190 h | 6.5 |
| Oct | 26.0°C | 158 h | 6.7 |
| Nov | 23.6°C | 115 h | 7.5 |
| Dec | 20.5°C | 89 h | 7.9 |
Japan Meteorological Agency, Ishigaki normals (1991–2020).
The moon matters most
The booking calendar marks days near the new moon and closes the full moon and the days around it. When you pick a date, it shows that day's moonrise or moonset and the best time slot.