From central Minnesota the Milky Way's galactic core is visible in true darkness from April to August, with the longest viewing window in June. Below: monthly times, the next new moons, and the darkest photo locations in Minnesota ranked by our light-pollution model.
Core season
Apr–Aug
Best month
June
2.3 h window
Max core altitude
14°
above southern horizon
Dark locations
210
Bortle 1–3 (est.)
Milky Way core visibility in Minnesota by month
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | -5° | — |
| February | — | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:40 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:33 AM – 4:23 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:39 AM – 3:09 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:02 AM – 2:22 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:39 PM – 1:09 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 11:06 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 9:11 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | — | — | 5° | — |
| November | — | — | -4° | — |
| December | — | — | -20° | — |
Computed for central Minnesota (46.84, -93.17) — 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 below horizon at night |
| Mon, Mar 08, 2027 | 3:29 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| 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 below horizon at night |
| Fri, Oct 29, 2027 | 8:36 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 Minnesota
| Location | Type | County | Est. Bortle | Zenith mag/arcsec² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voyageurs National Park | Dark Sky Place | Saint Louis County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Itasca State Park | State Park | Clearwater County | 1 | 21.89 |
| Judge C. R. Magney State Park | State Park | Cook County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Bear Head Lake State Park | State Park | Saint Louis County | 1 | 21.90 |
| Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park | State Park | Saint Louis County | 1 | 21.91 |
| Split Rock Lighthouse State Park | State Park | Lake County | 1 | 21.90 |
| Badoura State Forest | State Park | Hubbard County | 2 | 21.86 |
| Kabetogama State Forest | State Park | Saint Louis County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Bowstring State Forest | State Park | Itasca County | 1 | 21.91 |
| Temperance River State Park | State Park | Cook County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Big Bog State Recreation Area | State Park | Beltrami County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Paul Bunyan State Forest | State Park | Hubbard County | 2 | 21.88 |
| Finland State Forest | State Park | Lake County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Grand Portage State Forest | State Park | Cook County | 1 | 21.95 |
| Grand Portage State Park | State Park | Cook County | 1 | 21.95 |
| Franz Jevne State Park | State Park | Koochiching County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Lake Bronson State Park | State Park | Kittson County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Big Stone Lake State Park | State Park | Big Stone County | 2 | 21.88 |
| McCarthy Beach State Park | State Park | Saint Louis County | 2 | 21.85 |
| Cascade River State Park | State Park | Cook County | 1 | 21.94 |
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 Minnesota
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 Minnesota?
From about April to August the core is above the horizon during darkness; June gives the longest window.
Where is the best place to see the Milky Way in Minnesota?
Our darkest modeled locations include Voyageurs National Park, Itasca State Park, Judge C. R. Magney State Park, Bear Head Lake 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.