From central Ohio 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 Ohio ranked by our light-pollution model.
Core season
Mar–Sep
Best month
June
4.8 h window
Max core altitude
21°
above southern horizon
Dark locations
65
Bortle 1–3 (est.)
Milky Way core visibility in Ohio by month
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:47 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:58 AM – 6:08 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 4:20 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:05 PM – 3:55 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:57 PM – 2:27 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 12:31 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:22 PM – 8:32 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | — | — | 0° | — |
| December | — | — | -19° | — |
Computed for central Ohio (40.14, -82.55) — 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 Ohio
| Location | Type | County | Est. Bortle | Zenith mag/arcsec² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Lake State Park | State Park | Jackson County | 3 | 21.47 |
| Lake Hope State Park | State Park | Vinton County | 3 | 21.38 |
| Blue Rock State Park | State Park | Muskingum County | 3 | 21.42 |
| Burr Oak State Park | State Park | Morgan County | 3 | 21.43 |
| Shawnee State Park | State Park | Scioto County | 3 | 21.39 |
| Lookout Point | Scenic Viewpoint | Ross County | 3 | 21.35 |
| Hocking Hills State Park | State Park | Hocking County | 3 | 21.31 |
| Barkcamp State Park | State Park | Belmont County | 3 | 21.32 |
| Paint Creek State Park | State Park | Highland County | 3 | 21.27 |
| Rocky Fork State Park | State Park | Highland County | 3 | 21.31 |
| Salt Fork State Park | State Park | Guernsey County | 3 | 21.33 |
| Harrison Lake State Park | State Park | Williams County | 3 | 21.26 |
| Tar Hollow State Park | State Park | Ross County | 3 | 21.29 |
| Conkle's Hollow State Nature Preserve | State Park | Hocking County | 3 | 21.28 |
| Lake Erie | Lake | Ashtabula County | 3 | 21.56 |
| Moonville | Ghost Town | Vinton County | 3 | 21.38 |
| Huntstown | Ghost Town | Putnam County | 3 | 21.35 |
| Ingham | Ghost Town | Athens County | 3 | 21.35 |
| Ash Cave Fire Tower | Fire Lookout | Vinton County | 3 | 21.35 |
| Rock Bridge | Natural Arch | Washington County | 3 | 21.42 |
Sky brightness is modeled from nearby town populations (Walker's law); terrain, altitude and local lighting can make real skies better or worse.
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 Ohio?
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 Ohio?
Our darkest modeled locations include Jackson Lake State Park, Lake Hope State Park, Blue Rock State Park, Burr Oak 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.