Wednesday, 15 July 2026· active March – Octoberlesser-known
Milky Way core season
The bright galactic core of the Milky Way — the part that makes those glowing astrophotos — is above the horizon at night from roughly March to October. Summer is prime time. You need a genuinely dark sky and a moonless night.
Best visibility
Both hemispheres
Moon in 2026
Only visible well on nights with little or no Moon.
How to see it
- Pick a new-Moon window and a dark-sky site far from towns.
- Look south (northern hemisphere) once fully dark; let your eyes adapt 20–30 minutes.
- Even a phone on a 10-second night exposure will capture the core arcing overhead.