GoodSeeing
Galactic core · next 30 nights

Milky Way windows at Queenstown

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 Sept5.7 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 Sept5.7 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 Sept4.7 h98% moon
26 Sept4.7 h100% moon
27 Sept4.7 h99% moon
28 Sept4.7 h96% moon
29 Sept4.7 h91% moon
30 Sept4.3 h84% moon
1 Oct4.3 h74% moon
2 Oct4.3 h63% moon
3 Oct4.3 h52% moon
4 Oct4.3 h40% moon
5 Oct4.0 h29% moon
6 Oct3.7 h19% moon
7 Oct3.7 h11% moon
8 Oct3.7 h5% moon
9 Oct3.7 h1% moon
10 Oct3.3 h0% moon
11 Oct3.3 h1% moon
12 Oct3.3 h4% moon
13 Oct3.3 h9% moon
14 Oct3.3 h15% moon
15 Oct3.0 h22% moon
16 Oct3.0 h30% moon
17 Oct3.0 h39% moon
18 Oct2.7 h49% moon
20:20–02:00

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 →

Keep planning

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.