(DIR) Home
        
        
       The Milky Way will be visible without a telescope this summer. Here
       are the key nights to watch for.
        
 (HTM) Source
        
       ----------------------------------------------------------------------
        
       It's the best time of the year to see the _Milky Way_. In July and
       August, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, the bright center of our
       galaxy becomes visible, but only to those in the right place at the
       right time. If the skies are clear, it's possible to see billions of
       stars arching across the night sky.
        
       Sadly, most people in North America and Europe have no chance of
       seeing the Milky Way unless they travel to a dark-sky location. It's
       also necessary to avoid strong moonlight, which makes only about 10
       days per month in the summer months suitable for easily seeing the
       Milky Way after dark. So it's not surprising that an estimated _80% of
       North Americans have never seen the Milky Way_.
        
       According to _Capture The Atlas_ , it's possible 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 difference, but generally, the Milky
       Way is visible in the early morning from March to June and in the
       evening from July to early October. For example, if you want to see
       the Milky Way in March, you'll have to be up at 4 a.m. By September,
       it's an after-sunset event.
        
       There are also other factors to consider. You need moonless night
       skies, prioritizing the 10 nights around the new moon — when the moon
       is not in the night sky — specifically from the last quarter moon to
       three nights after the new moon (when a crescent moon will set soon
       after dark).
        
       That means these dates are the best times to see the Milky Way this
       summer and fall:
        
         * June 28 - July 8
         * July 28 - Aug. 7
         * Aug. 26 - Sept. 6
         * Sept. 24 - Oct. 5
        
       Sunset and sunrise times, particularly in July and August, should also
       be considered, 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 darkness to get a good view.
        
       Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to
       your inbox.
        
       Don't forget to let your eyes adapt to the dark for at least 20
       minutes before your skywatching session. That means not looking at a
       smartphone or any other bright, white light source after the sun sets.
       The best way to find a dark spot is to use DarkSky's _Find a Dark Sky
       Place_ or the _Dark Site Finder_ or consult a _light pollution map_.
        
       With suitably dark skies, you can see the band of the Milky Way with
       the naked eye — but a _good small telescope_ or a pair of _stargazing
       binoculars_ can help you zoom in on objects of interest and take
       advantage of some of _2024's best stargazing opportunities_ yet to
       come.
        
       The farther south you are, the deeper into the Milky Way you will see.
       For example, the constellation Sagittarius — home to the _galaxy's
       bright central black hole_ — is low on the southern horizon as seen
       from New York state at 41 degrees north. From Miami, at 26 degrees
       north, Sagittarius will appear 15 degrees higher in the sky. But that
       only applies to the constellation's maximum height, since Sagittarius
       will appear to rise (in the southeast) as the night progresses and
       then sink.
        
        
        
        
       ______________________________________________________________________
                                                 Served by Flask-Gopher/2.2.1