From central Arkansas 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 Arkansas ranked by our light-pollution model.
Core season
Feb–Oct
Best month
June
5.8 h window
Max core altitude
26°
above southern horizon
Dark locations
102
Bortle 1–3 (est.)
Milky Way core visibility in Arkansas by month
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:00 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:05 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:05 AM – 5:05 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:10 AM – 4:20 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:18 PM – 4:08 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:13 PM – 2:43 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:36 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:37 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | — | — | 2° | — |
| December | — | — | -19° | — |
Computed for central Arkansas (35.53, -93.02) — 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 Arkansas
| Location | Type | County | Est. Bortle | Zenith mag/arcsec² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo National River | Dark Sky Place | Searcy County | 2 | 21.83 |
| Cossatot River State Park-Natural Area | State Park | Howard County | 2 | 21.85 |
| Crater of Diamonds State Park | State Park | Pike County | 2 | 21.81 |
| Queen Wilhelmina State Park | State Park | Polk County | 2 | 21.79 |
| Mammoth Spring State Park | State Park | Fulton County | 2 | 21.82 |
| Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park | State Park | Cleveland County | 2 | 21.76 |
| Bull Shoals-White River State Park | State Park | Baxter County | 2 | 21.77 |
| Cane Creek State Park | State Park | Lincoln County | 2 | 21.75 |
| Poison Springs Battleground State Park | State Park | Ouachita County | 2 | 21.75 |
| Lake Ouachita Vista Point of Interest | Scenic Viewpoint | Montgomery County | 2 | 21.75 |
| Arkansas Post | State Park | Arkansas County | 2 | 21.70 |
| Louisiana Purchase State Park | State Park | Monroe County | 3 | 21.69 |
| Powhatan Historic State Park | State Park | Lawrence County | 3 | 21.66 |
| Historic Washington State Park | State Park | Hempstead County | 2 | 21.70 |
| Mount Magazine State Park | State Park | Logan County | 2 | 21.74 |
| Conway Cemetery State Park | State Park | Lafayette County | 2 | 21.74 |
| Lake Charles State Park | State Park | Lawrence County | 2 | 21.70 |
| Petit Jean State Park | State Park | Conway County | 3 | 21.56 |
| Lake Fort Smith State Park | State Park | Crawford County | 3 | 21.59 |
| Davidsonville Historic State Park | State Park | Randolph County | 3 | 21.60 |
Sky brightness is modeled from nearby town populations (Walker's law); terrain, altitude and local lighting can make real skies better or worse.
Certified dark sky places in Arkansas
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 Arkansas?
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 Arkansas?
Our darkest modeled locations include Buffalo National River, Cossatot River State Park-Natural Area, Crater of Diamonds State Park, Queen Wilhelmina 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.