At Alaska's latitude the Milky Way core stays low or the nights are too bright. The tables below still help you plan winter Milky Way and star-trail shots.
Core season
Limited
Best month
—
0 h window
Max core altitude
-1°
above southern horizon
Dark locations
651
Bortle 1–3 (est.)
Milky Way core visibility in Alaska by month
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | -11° | — |
| February | — | — | -5° | — |
| March | — | — | -3° | — |
| April | — | — | -5° | — |
| May | — | — | — | — |
| June | — | — | — | — |
| July | — | — | — | — |
| August | — | — | -1° | — |
| September | — | — | -5° | — |
| October | — | — | -6° | — |
| November | — | — | -11° | — |
| December | — | — | -21° | — |
Computed for central Alaska (59.44, -148.8) — 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Nov 08, 2026 | 10:02 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Tue, Dec 08, 2026 | 3:52 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Thu, Jan 07, 2027 | 11:24 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Sat, Feb 06, 2027 | 6:56 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Mon, Mar 08, 2027 | 12:29 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Tue, Apr 06, 2027 | 3:51 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Thu, May 06, 2027 | 2:58 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Fri, Jun 04, 2027 | 11:40 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Sat, Jul 03, 2027 | 7:02 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Mon, Aug 02, 2027 | 2:05 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Tue, Aug 31, 2027 | 9:41 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Wed, Sep 29, 2027 | 6:36 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Fri, Oct 29, 2027 | 5:36 AM | Core below horizon at night |
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 Alaska
| Location | Type | County | Est. Bortle | Zenith mag/arcsec² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denali State Park | State Park | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 1 | 21.94 |
| Wood-Tikchik State Park | State Park | Dillingham Census Area | 1 | 21.95 |
| Kachemak Bay State Park | State Park | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 1 | 21.92 |
| Afognak Island State Park | State Park | Kodiak Island Borough | 1 | 21.95 |
| Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve | State Park | Haines Borough | 1 | 21.95 |
| Chena River State Recreation Area | State Park | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 1 | 21.92 |
| Tern Lake | Scenic Viewpoint | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 2 | 21.88 |
| Gobblers Knob | Scenic Viewpoint | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 1 | 21.95 |
| Hess Creek Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 1 | 21.94 |
| Copper River Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | Copper River Census Area | 1 | 21.95 |
| Edgerton Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Copper River Census Area | 1 | 21.95 |
| Worthington Glacier Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | Chugach Census Area | 1 | 21.94 |
| Denali Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | Denali Borough | 1 | 21.94 |
| Exit Glacier Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 2 | 21.87 |
| Kevita Pond Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 1 | 21.95 |
| Observation Point | Scenic Viewpoint | Dillingham Census Area | 1 | 21.95 |
| Igloo City | Scenic Viewpoint | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 1 | 21.94 |
| Denali View South | Scenic Viewpoint | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 1 | 21.93 |
| Heitman Mountain | Scenic Viewpoint | Kodiak Island Borough | 2 | 21.88 |
| Heitman Peak | Scenic Viewpoint | Kodiak Island Borough | 2 | 21.86 |
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 Alaska?
The core is mostly too low at this latitude.
Where is the best place to see the Milky Way in Alaska?
Our darkest modeled locations include Denali State Park, Wood-Tikchik State Park, Kachemak Bay State Park, Afognak Island State Park.
What time is the Milky Way visible tonight?
Use the Milky Way planner with your location for exact rise, transit and dark-window times.