Galactic core · next 30 nights

Milky Way windows at Aoraki Mackenzie (Lake Tekapo)

This tracks the Sagittarius galactic core only when the Sun is at least 18° below the horizon and the core is at least 10° high. It is geometry, not a weather promise.

Best night19 Sept5.3 h of core visibility in darkness

Highest core altitude64°near 20:20

Usable nights30 / 30Moonlight and cloud still decide image contrast.

Computed local geometry

Core hours after astronomical twilight

19 Sept5.3 h56% moon

20 Sept5.3 h65% moon

21 Sept5.3 h74% moon

22 Sept5.0 h82% moon

23 Sept5.0 h89% moon

24 Sept5.0 h94% moon

25 Sept5.0 h98% moon

26 Sept5.0 h100% moon

27 Sept4.7 h99% moon

28 Sept4.7 h96% moon

29 Sept4.3 h91% moon

30 Sept4.3 h84% moon

1 Oct4.3 h74% moon

2 Oct4.0 h63% moon

3 Oct4.0 h52% moon

4 Oct4.0 h40% moon

5 Oct4.0 h29% moon

6 Oct4.0 h19% moon

7 Oct3.7 h11% moon

8 Oct3.7 h5% moon

9 Oct3.7 h1% moon

10 Oct3.7 h0% moon

11 Oct3.7 h1% moon

12 Oct3.3 h4% moon

13 Oct3.0 h9% moon

14 Oct3.0 h15% moon

15 Oct3.0 h22% moon

16 Oct3.0 h30% moon

17 Oct3.0 h39% moon

18 Oct2.7 h49% moon

20:20–01:40

This is the widest geometric window in the next month. Check the live forecast before travelling, then favor the darkest moonless portion. Check live cloud and transparency →

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Moon

Moonless nights

Find the longest uninterrupted dark windows.

Core

Milky Way

See when the galactic core clears the horizon after dark.

−18°

Astronomical darkness

Track true darkness, including polar twilight.