From central Alabama the Milky Way's galactic core is visible in true darkness from February to October, with the longest viewing window in June. Below: monthly times, the next new moons, and the darkest photo locations in Alabama ranked by our light-pollution model.
Core season
Feb–Oct
Best month
June
6.2 h window
Max core altitude
28°
above southern horizon
Dark locations
110
Bortle 1–3 (est.)
Milky Way core visibility in Alabama by month
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:25 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:34 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.2 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:36 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.5 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:42 PM – 3:52 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:38 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:04 PM – 12:24 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:18 PM – 10:18 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:37 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | — | — | 3° | — |
| December | — | — | -18° | — |
Computed for central Alabama (33.51, -86.56) — core at least 10° high during astronomical darkness. Northern parts of the state see it lower and for less time.
Next new moons (darkest nights)
| Date | Time | Milky Way |
|---|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 09, 2026 | 1:02 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Tue, Dec 08, 2026 | 6:52 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Thu, Jan 07, 2027 | 2:24 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Sat, Feb 06, 2027 | 9:56 AM | Core season |
| Mon, Mar 08, 2027 | 3:29 AM | Core season |
| Tue, Apr 06, 2027 | 6:51 PM | Core season |
| Thu, May 06, 2027 | 5:58 AM | Core season |
| Fri, Jun 04, 2027 | 2:40 PM | Core season |
| Sat, Jul 03, 2027 | 10:02 PM | Core season |
| Mon, Aug 02, 2027 | 5:05 AM | Core season |
| Tue, Aug 31, 2027 | 12:41 PM | Core season |
| Wed, Sep 29, 2027 | 9:36 PM | Core season |
| Fri, Oct 29, 2027 | 8:36 AM | Core season |
New moon times from the U.S. Naval Observatory, converted to local time. The 3–4 nights either side are also dark in the evening or morning.
Darkest photo locations in Alabama
| Location | Type | County | Est. Bortle | Zenith mag/arcsec² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bladon Springs State Park | State Park | Choctaw County | 2 | 21.84 |
| Lookout Hill Fire Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Monroe County | 2 | 21.81 |
| Butler Mountain Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Choctaw County | 2 | 21.84 |
| Rumley Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Sumter County | 2 | 21.79 |
| Aquilla Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Choctaw County | 2 | 21.83 |
| Havana Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Hale County | 3 | 21.66 |
| Morgan Springs Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Perry County | 3 | 21.68 |
| Open Pond Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Covington County | 2 | 21.73 |
| Mount Willing Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Lowndes County | 3 | 21.69 |
| West Bank Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Henry County | 2 | 21.71 |
| Epes Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Sumter County | 3 | 21.65 |
| Pleasant Grove Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Pickens County | 3 | 21.65 |
| Payne Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Hale County | 3 | 21.62 |
| Cahaba Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Perry County | 3 | 21.59 |
| Pondville Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Bibb County | 3 | 21.57 |
| Perry Mountain Fire Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Chilton County | 3 | 21.60 |
| Highpoint Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Colbert County | 3 | 21.57 |
| Cains Ridge Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Fayette County | 3 | 21.47 |
| Eubanks Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Barbour County | 3 | 21.53 |
| Evergreen Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Autauga County | 3 | 21.53 |
Sky brightness is modeled from nearby town populations (Walker's law); terrain, altitude and local lighting can make real skies better or worse.
Starting exposure for sharp stars (NPF rule)
| Sensor | Lens | Aperture | NPF max shutter | 500 rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame (35 mm) | 14 mm | f/2.8 | 19.6 s | 36 s |
| Full frame (35 mm) | 20 mm | f/2.8 | 13.8 s | 25 s |
| Full frame (35 mm) | 24 mm | f/2.8 | 11.5 s | 21 s |
| APS-C (Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Pentax) | 14 mm | f/2.8 | 15.4 s | 23 s |
| APS-C (Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Pentax) | 20 mm | f/2.8 | 10.8 s | 16 s |
| APS-C (Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Pentax) | 24 mm | f/2.8 | 9.0 s | 14 s |
| Micro Four Thirds | 14 mm | f/2.8 | 14.1 s | 18 s |
| Micro Four Thirds | 20 mm | f/2.8 | 9.8 s | 12 s |
| Micro Four Thirds | 24 mm | f/2.8 | 8.2 s | 10 s |
NPF = (35 × f-number + 30 × pixel pitch) ÷ focal length, using typical pixel pitch per format (24 MP FF, 24–26 MP APS-C, 20 MP MFT). Fine-tune for your camera with the NPF calculator.
Tips for Milky Way photography
- Shoot within a few days of the new moon, or after moonset / before moonrise.
- Use ISO 3200–6400 on modern full-frame sensors, f/1.8–f/2.8, and the NPF shutter time.
- Focus manually on a bright star with live view magnified, then lock the focus ring.
- Shoot a blue-hour or low-ISO foreground frame from the same tripod position and blend it later.
- Stack 10–20 frames to reduce noise, or use a star tracker for longer exposures.
- Check the darkest-location table above, then confirm the view to the south on the location's sun-path diagram.
FAQ
When is Milky Way season in Alabama?
From about February to October the core is above the horizon during darkness; June gives the longest window.
Where is the best place to see the Milky Way in Alabama?
Our darkest modeled locations include Bladon Springs State Park, Lookout Hill Fire Tower, Butler Mountain Lookout Tower, Rumley Lookout Tower.
What time is the Milky Way visible tonight?
Use the Milky Way planner with your location for exact rise, transit and dark-window times.