Galactic core · next 30 nights

Milky Way windows at Lake Charles

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 night10 Oct1.3 h of core visibility in darkness

Highest core altitude20°near 20:20

Usable nights22 / 30Moonlight and cloud still decide image contrast.

Computed local geometry

Core hours after astronomical twilight

10 Oct1.3 h1% moon

11 Oct1.3 h3% moon

12 Oct1.0 h7% moon

13 Oct1.0 h13% moon

14 Oct1.0 h20% moon

15 Oct1.0 h28% moon

16 Oct1.0 h37% moon

17 Oct0.7 h46% moon

18 Oct1.0 h56% moon

19 Oct1.0 h65% moon

20 Oct1.0 h74% moon

21 Oct1.0 h82% moon

22 Oct0.7 h89% moon

23 Oct0.7 h95% moon

24 Oct0.7 h99% moon

25 Oct0.7 h100% moon

26 Oct0.7 h99% moon

27 Oct0.3 h95% moon

28 Oct0.3 h88% moon

29 Oct0.3 h80% moon

30 Oct0.3 h70% moon

31 Oct0.3 h59% moon

1 Novnone46% moon

2 Novnone35% moon

3 Novnone25% moon

4 Novnone16% moon

5 Novnone9% moon

6 Novnone4% moon

7 Novnone1% moon

8 Novnone0% moon

20:20–21:40

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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Same coordinates, different question

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.