Best Times To Spot the Milky Way.
Source: The Elusive Milky Way – How to Find It!
| Month | Best Time (Local Time) | Moon Phase* |
|---|---|---|
| January | IMPOSSIBLE | – |
| February | Difficult. Before sunrise (late February only) | 3Q to New |
| March | Difficult. Before sunrise | New to 1Q |
| April | 4 AM to Sunrise | New to 1Q |
| May | 3 AM to 6 AM | New to 1Q |
| June | 10 PM to 2 AM | New |
| July | Sunset to Midnight | 3Q to New |
| August | Sunset until 10 PM | 3Q to New |
| September | Sunset until 9 PM | 3Q to New |
| October | Difficult: Sunset (early October only) | 3Q to New |
| November | IMPOSSIBLE | – |
| December | IMPOSSIBLE | – |
* 1Q means first quarter moon (half full). In its first quarter the moon rises around noon and sets near midnight. 2Q is a Full moon. Nearly full is called a Gibbous. It is nearly impossible to see the Milky Way when the moon is near full. 3Q is the third quarter (also half full) moon which rises near midnight and sets near noon. New means the moon rises and sets very near the sun. Includes a slender crescent phase, too.
Table showing the best times of year and lunar cycles to shoot the Milky Way.Best Times To Spot the Milky Way.
Source: The Elusive Milky Way – How to Find It!
| Month | Best Time (Local Time) | Moon Phase* |
|---|---|---|
| January | IMPOSSIBLE | – |
| February | Difficult. Before sunrise (late February only) | 3Q to New |
| March | Difficult. Before sunrise | New to 1Q |
| April | 4 AM to Sunrise | New to 1Q |
| May | 3 AM to 6 AM | New to 1Q |
| June | 10 PM to 2 AM | New |
| July | Sunset to Midnight | 3Q to New |
| August | Sunset until 10 PM | 3Q to New |
| September | Sunset until 9 PM | 3Q to New |
| October | Difficult: Sunset (early October only) | 3Q to New |
| November | IMPOSSIBLE | – |
| December | IMPOSSIBLE | – |
* 1Q means first quarter moon (half full). In its first quarter the moon rises around noon and sets near midnight. 2Q is a Full moon. Nearly full is called a Gibbous. It is nearly impossible to see the Milky Way when the moon is near full. 3Q is the third quarter (also half full) moon which rises near midnight and sets near noon. New means the moon rises and sets very near the sun. Includes a slender crescent phase, too.
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