From central Florida 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 Florida ranked by our light-pollution model.
Core season
Feb–Oct
Best month
June
6.8 h window
Max core altitude
33°
above southern horizon
Dark locations
105
Bortle 1–3 (est.)
Milky Way core visibility in Florida by month
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | 3° | — |
| February | 4:39 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:56 AM – 6:16 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:51 PM – 5:01 AM | 5.2 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:02 PM – 4:52 AM | 6.8 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:00 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 1:23 AM | 3.8 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:24 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 9:28 PM | 1.2 | 21° | SW → SW |
| November | — | — | 5° | — |
| December | — | — | -18° | — |
Computed for central Florida (28.54, -82.09) — 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 | 2:02 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Tue, Dec 08, 2026 | 7:52 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Thu, Jan 07, 2027 | 3:24 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Sat, Feb 06, 2027 | 10:56 AM | Core season |
| Mon, Mar 08, 2027 | 4:29 AM | Core season |
| Tue, Apr 06, 2027 | 7:51 PM | Core season |
| Thu, May 06, 2027 | 6:58 AM | Core season |
| Fri, Jun 04, 2027 | 3:40 PM | Core season |
| Sat, Jul 03, 2027 | 11:02 PM | Core season |
| Mon, Aug 02, 2027 | 6:05 AM | Core season |
| Tue, Aug 31, 2027 | 1:41 PM | Core season |
| Wed, Sep 29, 2027 | 10:36 PM | Core season |
| Fri, Oct 29, 2027 | 9:36 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 Florida
| Location | Type | County | Est. Bortle | Zenith mag/arcsec² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park | Dark Sky Place | Okeechobee County | 3 | 21.37 |
| St. George Island State Park | State Park | Franklin County | 2 | 21.86 |
| John Gorrie State Museum | State Park | Franklin County | 2 | 21.87 |
| Orman House | State Park | Franklin County | 2 | 21.87 |
| East Bay Fire Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | Franklin County | 2 | 21.86 |
| Sand Beach | Scenic Viewpoint | Franklin County | 2 | 21.87 |
| Torreya State Park | State Park | Calhoun County | 2 | 21.76 |
| Econfina River State Park | State Park | Taylor County | 2 | 21.78 |
| St. Joseph Peninsula State Park | State Park | Gulf County | 2 | 21.76 |
| Ochlockonee River State Park | State Park | Wakulla County | 2 | 21.78 |
| Bald Point State Park | State Park | Franklin County | 2 | 21.80 |
| Lafayette Blue Springs State Park | State Park | Suwannee County | 2 | 21.76 |
| Alum Bluff Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Liberty County | 2 | 21.78 |
| Dwarf Cypress | Scenic Viewpoint | Franklin County | 2 | 21.82 |
| Weeping Seep | Scenic Viewpoint | Calhoun County | 2 | 21.76 |
| Fanning Springs State Park | State Park | Gilchrist County | 3 | 21.67 |
| Ponce de Leon Springs State Park | State Park | Holmes County | 2 | 21.70 |
| Manatee Springs State Park | State Park | Dixie County | 3 | 21.68 |
| Cedar Key Museum State Park | State Park | Levy County | 3 | 21.66 |
| Cedar Key Scrub State Reserve | State Park | Levy County | 3 | 21.66 |
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 Florida
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 Florida?
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 Florida?
Our darkest modeled locations include Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, St. George Island State Park, John Gorrie State Museum, Orman House.
What time is the Milky Way visible tonight?
Use the Milky Way planner with your location for exact rise, transit and dark-window times.