From central Nevada 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 Nevada 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
318
Bortle 1–3 (est.)
Milky Way core visibility in Nevada by month
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:01 AM – 5:21 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:58 AM – 4:28 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:01 AM – 3:41 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:14 PM – 3:14 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 1:46 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:22 PM – 11:52 PM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 9:46 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 7:46 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | — | — | 0° | — |
| December | — | — | -19° | — |
Computed for central Nevada (39.33, -116.17) — 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Nov 08, 2026 | 11:02 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Tue, Dec 08, 2026 | 4:52 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Thu, Jan 07, 2027 | 12:24 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Sat, Feb 06, 2027 | 7:56 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Mon, Mar 08, 2027 | 1:29 AM | Core season |
| Tue, Apr 06, 2027 | 4:51 PM | Core season |
| Thu, May 06, 2027 | 3:58 AM | Core season |
| Fri, Jun 04, 2027 | 12:40 PM | Core season |
| Sat, Jul 03, 2027 | 8:02 PM | Core season |
| Mon, Aug 02, 2027 | 3:05 AM | Core season |
| Tue, Aug 31, 2027 | 10:41 AM | Core season |
| Wed, Sep 29, 2027 | 7:36 PM | Core season |
| Fri, Oct 29, 2027 | 6:36 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 Nevada
| Location | Type | County | Est. Bortle | Zenith mag/arcsec² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Basin National Park | Dark Sky Place | White Pine County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park | State Park | White Pine County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park | State Park | Eureka County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Belmont Courthouse State Historic Park | State Park | Nye County | 1 | 21.95 |
| Cathedral Gorge State Park | State Park | Lincoln County | 1 | 21.90 |
| Cave Lake State Park | State Park | White Pine County | 1 | 21.90 |
| Wild Horse State Recreation Area | State Park | Elko County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Rye Patch State Recreation Area | State Park | Pershing County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Echo Canyon State Park | State Park | Lincoln County | 1 | 21.90 |
| Spring Valley State Park | State Park | Lincoln County | 1 | 21.91 |
| Kershaw–Ryan State Park | State Park | Lincoln County | 2 | 21.88 |
| Beaver Dam State Park | State Park | Lincoln County | 2 | 21.85 |
| Elgin Schoolhouse State Historic Site | State Park | Lincoln County | 2 | 21.84 |
| South Fork State Recreation Area | State Park | Elko County | 2 | 21.71 |
| Fort Churchill State Historic Park | State Park | Lyon County | 3 | 21.54 |
| Lahontan State Recreation Area | State Park | Lyon County | 3 | 21.47 |
| Valley of Fire State Park | State Park | Clark County | 3 | 21.36 |
| Fly Geyser | Hot Spring | Humboldt County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Rhyolite | Ghost Town | Nye County | 2 | 21.89 |
| Inyo National Forest | National Forest | Esmeralda County | 1 | 21.89 |
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 Nevada
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 Nevada?
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 Nevada?
Our darkest modeled locations include Great Basin National Park, Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park, Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park, Belmont Courthouse State Historic 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.