From central Oregon 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 Oregon ranked by our light-pollution model.
Core season
Mar–Sep
Best month
June
3.5 h window
Max core altitude
17°
above southern horizon
Dark locations
696
Bortle 1–3 (est.)
Milky Way core visibility in Oregon by month
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | -3° | — |
| February | — | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:02 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:29 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:05 AM – 3:25 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:23 PM – 2:53 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:08 PM – 1:38 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 11:28 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 9:31 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | — | — | 8° | — |
| November | — | — | -3° | — |
| December | — | — | -20° | — |
Computed for central Oregon (44.34, -122.22) — 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 Oregon
| Location | Type | County | Est. Bortle | Zenith mag/arcsec² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humbug Mountain State Park | State Park | Curry County | 1 | 21.91 |
| Port Orford Heads State Park | State Park | Curry County | 1 | 21.91 |
| Catherine Creek State Park | State Park | Union County | 2 | 21.88 |
| Wallowa Lake State Park | State Park | Wallowa County | 1 | 21.91 |
| Collier Memorial State Park | State Park | Klamath County | 2 | 21.88 |
| Frenchglen Hotel State Heritage Site | State Park | Harney County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Goose Lake State Recreation Area | State Park | Lake County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum | State Park | Grant County | 1 | 21.92 |
| Battle Mountain Forest State Scenic Corridor | State Park | Umatilla County | 2 | 21.87 |
| Minam State Recreation Area | State Park | Wallowa County | 2 | 21.86 |
| Booth State Scenic Corridor | State Park | Lake County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Cape Sebastian State Scenic Corridor | State Park | Curry County | 1 | 21.91 |
| Chandler State Wayside | State Park | Lake County | 1 | 21.94 |
| Ukiah–Dale Forest State Scenic Corridor | State Park | Umatilla County | 1 | 21.89 |
| Unity Lake State Recreation Site | State Park | Baker County | 1 | 21.91 |
| Wallowa Lake Highway Forest State Scenic Corridor | State Park | Wallowa County | 2 | 21.87 |
| Pistol River State Scenic Viewpoint | State Park | Curry County | 1 | 21.90 |
| Dyer State Wayside | State Park | Gilliam County | 2 | 21.86 |
| Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site | State Park | Wallowa County | 1 | 21.91 |
| Jackson F. Kimball State Recreation Site | State Park | Klamath County | 2 | 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.
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 Oregon?
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 Oregon?
Our darkest modeled locations include Humbug Mountain State Park, Port Orford Heads State Park, Catherine Creek State Park, Wallowa 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.