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Milky Way in Texas

Core season, new moons and the darkest locations

  • Season Feb–Oct

From central Texas the Milky Way's galactic core is visible in true darkness from February to October, with the longest viewing window in June. Below: monthly times, the next new moons, and the darkest photo locations in Texas ranked by our light-pollution model.

Core season
Feb–Oct
Best month
June
6.7 h window
Max core altitude
31°
above southern horizon
Dark locations
173
Bortle 1–3 (est.)

Milky Way core visibility in Texas by month

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
January——1°—
February4:53 AM – 5:53 AM1.019°SE → SE
March4:02 AM – 6:22 AM2.328°SE → SSE
April2:05 AM – 5:35 AM3.531°SE → S
May12:02 AM – 5:02 AM5.031°SE → SSW
June10:15 PM – 4:55 AM6.731°SE → SW
July10:12 PM – 3:22 AM5.231°SSE → SW
August9:43 PM – 1:23 AM3.731°S → SW
September9:01 PM – 11:21 PM2.328°SSW → SW
October8:23 PM – 9:23 PM1.019°SW → SW
November——4°—
December——-18°—

Computed for central Texas (30.39, -98.34) — 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)

DateTimeMilky Way
Mon, Nov 09, 20261:02 AMCore below horizon at night
Tue, Dec 08, 20266:52 PMCore below horizon at night
Thu, Jan 07, 20272:24 PMCore below horizon at night
Sat, Feb 06, 20279:56 AMCore season
Mon, Mar 08, 20273:29 AMCore season
Tue, Apr 06, 20276:51 PMCore season
Thu, May 06, 20275:58 AMCore season
Fri, Jun 04, 20272:40 PMCore season
Sat, Jul 03, 202710:02 PMCore season
Mon, Aug 02, 20275:05 AMCore season
Tue, Aug 31, 202712:41 PMCore season
Wed, Sep 29, 20279:36 PMCore season
Fri, Oct 29, 20278:36 AMCore season

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 Texas

LocationTypeCountyEst. BortleZenith mag/arcsec²
Big Bend National ParkDark Sky PlaceBrewster County121.95
Big Bend Ranch State ParkDark Sky PlacePresidio County121.93
Copper Breaks State ParkDark Sky PlaceFoard County121.89
Devils River State Natural AreaDark Sky PlaceVal Verde County121.91
South Llano River State ParkDark Sky PlaceKimble County221.84
Enchanted Rock State Natural AreaDark Sky PlaceGillespie County321.61
Caprock Canyons State Park and TrailwayState ParkBriscoe County121.89
Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic SiteState ParkVal Verde County121.92
Balmorhea State ParkState ParkReeves County121.93
Davis Mountains State ParkState ParkJeff Davis County121.93
Fort McKavettState ParkMenard County221.86
Boquillas OverlookScenic ViewpointBrewster County121.95
Boquillas Canyon OverlookScenic ViewpointBrewster County121.95
Mule Ear OverlookScenic ViewpointBrewster County121.95
Rio Grande OverlookScenic ViewpointBrewster County121.95
Sotol Vista OverlookScenic ViewpointBrewster County121.95
Garner State ParkState ParkUvalde County221.77
Mission Dolores State Historic SiteState ParkSan Augustine County221.78
Daingerfield State ParkState ParkMorris County321.66
Martin Dies, Jr. State ParkState ParkJasper County321.69

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 Texas

Big Bend National ParkDark Sky Place
Big Bend National ParkBrewster County
Dripping SpringsDark Sky Place
Dripping SpringsHays County
Horseshoe BayDark Sky Place
Horseshoe BayLlano County
Enchanted Rock State Natural AreaDark Sky Place
Enchanted Rock State Natural AreaGillespie County
Big Bend Ranch State ParkDark Sky Place
Big Bend Ranch State ParkPresidio County
Copper Breaks State ParkDark Sky Place
Copper Breaks State ParkFoard County
Devils River State Natural AreaDark Sky Place
Devils River State Natural AreaVal Verde County
Dark Sky Place
South Llano River State ParkKimble County

Starting exposure for sharp stars (NPF rule)

SensorLensApertureNPF max shutter500 rule
Full frame (35 mm)14 mmf/2.819.6 s36 s
Full frame (35 mm)20 mmf/2.813.8 s25 s
Full frame (35 mm)24 mmf/2.811.5 s21 s
APS-C (Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Pentax)14 mmf/2.815.4 s23 s
APS-C (Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Pentax)20 mmf/2.810.8 s16 s
APS-C (Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Pentax)24 mmf/2.89.0 s14 s
Micro Four Thirds14 mmf/2.814.1 s18 s
Micro Four Thirds20 mmf/2.89.8 s12 s
Micro Four Thirds24 mmf/2.88.2 s10 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 Texas?
From about February to October the core is above the horizon during darkness; June gives the longest window.
Where is the best place to see the Milky Way in Texas?
What time is the Milky Way visible tonight?
Use the Milky Way planner with your location for exact rise, transit and dark-window times.