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It ’s the right time of the year to see theMilky Way . In July and August , as seen from the Northern Hemisphere , the brilliant pith of our Galax urceolata becomes seeable , but only to those in the ripe place at the correct time . If the skies are clear , it ’s possible to see billions of star arc across the Nox sky .
Sadly , most people in North America and Europe have no prospect of see theMilky Wayunless they travel to a dark - sky location . It ’s also necessary to avoid strong moonlight , which makes only about 10 day per month in the summertime months suitable for easily seeing the milklike Way after dark . So it ’s not surprising that an estimated80 % of North Americans have never seen the Milky Way .
The Milky Way from Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.
According toCapture The Atlas , it ’s potential to see the Milky Way from the Northern Hemisphere from March to September . From the Southern Hemisphere , that window expands by about a month on each side .
Your latitude on Earth makes a conflict , but by and large , the Milky Way is seeable in the other cockcrow from March to June and in the evening from July to early October . For example , if you need to see the Milky Way in March , you ’ll have to be up at 4 a.m. By September , it ’s an after - sundown event .
There are also other factor to consider . You need moonless night skies , prioritizing the 10 nights around the new moon — when the lunation is not in the nighttime sky — specifically from the last one-quarter moonshine to three night after the novel lunation ( when a crescent moon will set before long after dark ) .
That entail these escort are the good times to see the whitish Way this summer and fall :
sundown and morning time , particularly in July and August , should also be weigh , as they restrict the hours of darkness . This is when you ’re most likely to see the Milky Way right after sunset . However , you ’ll need total dark to get a good view .
Do n’t bury to lease your eyes adjust to the dark for at least 20 minutes before your skywatching session . That intend not looking at a smartphone or any other bright , bloodless light source after the sun sets . The best elbow room to find a dark patch is to use DarkSky’sFind a Dark Sky Placeor theDark Site Finderor refer alight pollution function .
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With suitably dark sky , you’re able to see the banding of the Milky Way with the naked eye — but agood small telescopeor a pair ofstargazing binocularscan help you soar in on objects of stake and take advantage of some of2024 ’s best stargazing opportunitiesyet to come .
The farther south you are , the deeper into the Milky Way you will see . For exercise , the constellation Sagittarius — household to thegalaxy ’s bright cardinal black hole — is low on the southerly horizon as see from New York body politic at 41 degrees north . From Miami , at 26 degrees north , Sagittarius will come along 15 degree high in the sky . But that only applies to the constellation ’s maximal elevation , since Sagittarius will seem to rise ( in the SE ) as the Nox get along and then drop .
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