From central Maine 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 Maine ranked by our light-pollution model.
Core season
Mar–Sep
Best month
June
3.3 h window
Max core altitude
16°
above southern horizon
Dark locations
244
Bortle 1–3 (est.)
Milky Way core visibility in Maine by month
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | -4° | — |
| February | — | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:38 AM – 3:58 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 2:55 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 12:59 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 10:58 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | — | — | 7° | — |
| November | — | — | -3° | — |
| December | — | — | -20° | — |
Computed for central Maine (44.59, -69.33) — 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 below horizon at night |
| 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 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 Maine
| Location | Type | County | Est. Bortle | Zenith mag/arcsec² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument | Dark Sky Place | Penobscot County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Baxter State Park | State Park | Piscataquis County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Quoddy Head State Park | State Park | Washington County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Cobscook Bay State Park | State Park | Washington County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Roque Bluffs State Park | State Park | Washington County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Lily Bay State Park | State Park | Piscataquis County | 1 | 21.92 |
| Shackford Head State Park | State Park | Washington County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Rangeley Lake State Park | State Park | Franklin County | 2 | 21.87 |
| Height of Land Scenic Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Franklin County | 2 | 21.85 |
| Lookout Point | Scenic Viewpoint | Knox County | 2 | 21.86 |
| Overlook Park | Scenic Viewpoint | Washington County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Grafton Notch State Park | State Park | Oxford County | 2 | 21.76 |
| Mount Blue State Park | State Park | Franklin County | 2 | 21.78 |
| Fort Point State Park | State Park | Hancock County | 3 | 21.67 |
| Lamoine State Park | State Park | Hancock County | 2 | 21.71 |
| Beehive Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Hancock County | 2 | 21.69 |
| Cold River Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Oxford County | 3 | 21.66 |
| Evans Notch Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Oxford County | 3 | 21.66 |
| Lake St. George State Park | State Park | Waldo County | 3 | 21.62 |
| Swan Lake State Park | State Park | Waldo County | 3 | 21.63 |
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 Maine
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 Maine?
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 Maine?
Our darkest modeled locations include Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Baxter State Park, Quoddy Head State Park, Cobscook Bay 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.