From central Colorado the Milky Way's galactic core is visible in true darkness from March to September, with the longest viewing window in June. Below: monthly times, the next new moons, and the darkest photo locations in Colorado ranked by our light-pollution model.
Core season
Mar–Sep
Best month
June
5.0 h window
Max core altitude
22°
above southern horizon
Dark locations
529
Bortle 1–3 (est.)
Milky Way core visibility in Colorado by month
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:16 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:12 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:07 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | — | — | 0° | — |
| December | — | — | -19° | — |
Computed for central Colorado (39.08, -106.41) — 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 | 12:02 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Tue, Dec 08, 2026 | 5:52 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Thu, Jan 07, 2027 | 1:24 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Sat, Feb 06, 2027 | 8:56 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Mon, Mar 08, 2027 | 2:29 AM | Core season |
| Tue, Apr 06, 2027 | 5:51 PM | Core season |
| Thu, May 06, 2027 | 4:58 AM | Core season |
| Fri, Jun 04, 2027 | 1:40 PM | Core season |
| Sat, Jul 03, 2027 | 9:02 PM | Core season |
| Mon, Aug 02, 2027 | 4:05 AM | Core season |
| Tue, Aug 31, 2027 | 11:41 AM | Core season |
| Wed, Sep 29, 2027 | 8:36 PM | Core season |
| Fri, Oct 29, 2027 | 7:36 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 Colorado
| Location | Type | County | Est. Bortle | Zenith mag/arcsec² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nucla | Dark Sky Place | Montrose County | 1 | 21.92 |
| Norwood | Dark Sky Place | San Miguel County | 1 | 21.92 |
| Naturita | Dark Sky Place | Montrose County | 1 | 21.92 |
| Dinosaur National Monument | Dark Sky Place | Moffat County | 1 | 21.91 |
| Silver Cliff | Dark Sky Place | Custer County | 2 | 21.75 |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park | Dark Sky Place | Montrose County | 2 | 21.75 |
| Westcliffe | Dark Sky Place | Custer County | 2 | 21.76 |
| Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve | Dark Sky Place | Saguache County | 2 | 21.83 |
| Mesa Verde National Park | Dark Sky Place | Montezuma County | 2 | 21.76 |
| Mancos State Park | State Park | Montezuma County | 2 | 21.88 |
| Steamboat Lake State Park | State Park | Routt County | 2 | 21.85 |
| Bonny Lake State Park | State Park | Yuma County | 1 | 21.90 |
| Navajo State Park | State Park | Archuleta County | 1 | 21.89 |
| Pearl Lake State Park | State Park | Routt County | 2 | 21.85 |
| Crawford State Park | State Park | Delta County | 2 | 21.86 |
| Ridgway State Park | State Park | Ouray County | 1 | 21.89 |
| John Martin Reservoir State Park | State Park | Bent County | 1 | 21.89 |
| Cliff Canyon Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Montezuma County | 2 | 21.86 |
| Cliff Palace Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Montezuma County | 2 | 21.86 |
| Cliff Palace View | Scenic Viewpoint | Montezuma County | 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.
Certified dark sky places in Colorado
Dark Sky PlaceNucla
Dark Sky PlaceSilver Cliff
Dark Sky PlaceNorwood
Dark Sky PlaceNaturita
Dark Sky PlaceBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Dark Sky PlaceWestcliffe
Dark Sky PlaceGreat Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Dark Sky PlaceDinosaur National Monument
Dark Sky PlaceMesa Verde National Park
Dark Sky PlaceFlorissant Fossil Beds National Monument
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 Colorado?
From about March to September the core is above the horizon during darkness; June gives the longest window.
Where is the best place to see the Milky Way in Colorado?
What time is the Milky Way visible tonight?
Use the Milky Way planner with your location for exact rise, transit and dark-window times.