Stunning chance to see Milky Way in sky without telescope – 4 best weeks to spot it before end of 2024 including tonight
THE Milky Way is visible every night, but most people have never seen it.
Our galaxy appears as a linear smattering of stars streaking across the southern sky.
Light pollution from highways, cities, and the moon itself often occlude the brilliant display.
However, viewers in the Northern Hemisphere can catch a clear glimpse in July and August without using a telescope.
And the best time to view the Milky Way is fast approaching, including several opportunities this week.
The number one rule: get to a dark-sky location.
Simply put, this means an area that’s well-guarded from light pollution, located away from busy highways and city skylines.
California’s Anza Borrego Desert and Joshua Tree National Park are just two examples of designated dark-sky parks.
In addition to location, it’s important to mind the amount of moonlight, which can overwhelm the galaxy’s faint stars.
This leaves viewers with about 10 days of ideal viewing per month in the summer, all clustered around the new Moon.
During a full Moon, we see the face of the Moon that is illuminated by the Sun. The new Moon is the opposite – the side where the Sun is not shining.
For this reason, the new Moon phase is regarded as the best time to view celestial objects ranging from stars to entire galaxies.
For optimal viewing, aim for the last quarter moon to three nights after the new moon, when the moon will set soon after nightfall.
The Milky Way is visible from March to September in the Northern Hemisphere and February to October below the equator.
It can generally be seen in the early morning from March to June and in the evening from July to early October.
However, it’s difficult to distinguish a specific time to head out, as sunset and sunrise times change with the season.
After the winter solstice, for instance, nights will become progressively longer into the spring.
The summer solstice, which occurs at the end of June, brings more daylight and shorter nights.
As a general rule, the best time to see the Milky Way spans roughly a week between the end of one month and the beginning of the next.
We are about halfway through the optimal viewing window stretching from June 28 to July 8.
The next opportunity will come at the end of July, beginning July 28 and ending August 7.
After that, the next window will be from August 26 to September 6; then September 24 to October 5, and so on.
Constellations in the Milky Way include Perseus, Cassiopeia, Aquila, and Scorpius.
Viewers in the Southern Hemisphere can also spot Norma, Circinus, Crux, and Carina.
Novice stargazers can take advantage of mobile apps like Night Sky, which offer a simulation of celestial objects based on a user’s location.
Best dark-sky locations to view the Milky Way
Here are the 10 best locations to see the Milky Way in the U.S. and U.K.:
United States
- Death Valley National Park – California
- Arches National Park – Utah
- Vermillion Cliffs National Monument – Arizona
- Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor – Oregon
- Acadia National Park – Maine
- Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park – Arizona
- Adirondack Mountains – New York
- Waimea Canyon – Kauai, Hawaii
- Bisti Badlands – New Mexico
- Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest – California
United Kingdom
- Cairngorms National Park (Tomintoul and Glenlivet – Cairngorms) – Scotland
- North York Moors National Park – North East England
- Yorkshire Dales National Park – North East England
- Northumberland National Park (with Kielder Water and Forest Park) – North East England
- Lake District National Park – North West England
- Snowdonia National Park – Wales
- Elan Valley – Wales
- Brecon Beacons National Park – Wales
- Exmoor National Park – South West England
- South Downs National Park – South East England