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Milky Way in Utah

Core season, new moons and the darkest locations

  • Season Mar–Sep

From central Utah 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 Utah ranked by our light-pollution model.

Core season
Mar–Sep
Best month
June
5.2 h window
Max core altitude
23°
above southern horizon
Dark locations
554
Bortle 1–3 (est.)

Milky Way core visibility in Utah by month

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
January——-2°—
February5:21 AM – 5:41 AM0.312°SE → SE
March4:40 AM – 6:00 AM1.319°SE → SSE
April2:35 AM – 5:05 AM2.522°SE → S
May12:36 AM – 4:16 AM3.723°SE → S
June10:48 PM – 3:58 AM5.223°SE → SSW
July10:41 PM – 2:31 AM3.823°SSE → SW
August9:58 PM – 12:28 AM2.522°S → SW
September9:04 PM – 10:34 PM1.519°SSW → SW
October8:15 PM – 8:35 PM0.313°SW → SW
November——0°—
December——-19°—

Computed for central Utah (38.55, -110.96) — 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, 202612:02 AMCore below horizon at night
Tue, Dec 08, 20265:52 PMCore below horizon at night
Thu, Jan 07, 20271:24 PMCore below horizon at night
Sat, Feb 06, 20278:56 AMCore below horizon at night
Mon, Mar 08, 20272:29 AMCore season
Tue, Apr 06, 20275:51 PMCore season
Thu, May 06, 20274:58 AMCore season
Fri, Jun 04, 20271:40 PMCore season
Sat, Jul 03, 20279:02 PMCore season
Mon, Aug 02, 20274:05 AMCore season
Tue, Aug 31, 202711:41 AMCore season
Wed, Sep 29, 20278:36 PMCore season
Fri, Oct 29, 20277:36 AMCore 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 Utah

LocationTypeCountyEst. BortleZenith mag/arcsec²
Capitol Reef National ParkDark Sky PlaceWayne County121.94
Arches National ParkDark Sky PlaceGrand County221.88
Bryce Canyon National ParkDark Sky PlaceGarfield County121.93
TorreyDark Sky PlaceWayne County121.93
Canyonlands National ParkDark Sky PlaceSan Juan County121.94
Rainbow Bridge National MonumentDark Sky PlaceSan Juan County121.94
Dead Horse Point State ParkDark Sky PlaceGrand County121.89
Hovenweep National MonumentDark Sky PlaceSan Juan County121.92
Goosenecks State ParkDark Sky PlaceSan Juan County121.94
Goblin Valley State ParkDark Sky PlaceWayne County121.93
Natural Bridges National MonumentDark Sky PlaceSan Juan County121.94
Kodachrome Basin State ParkDark Sky PlaceKane County121.93
Zion National ParkDark Sky PlaceWashington County221.76
Cedar Breaks National MonumentDark Sky PlaceIron County221.70
Escalante Petrified Forest State ParkState ParkGarfield County121.94
Anasazi State Park MuseumState ParkGarfield County121.94
Utah Territorial StatehouseState ParkMillard County221.86
Fremont Indian State Park and MuseumState ParkSevier County121.89
Green River State ParkState ParkEmery County121.91
Buck Canyon OverlookScenic ViewpointSan Juan County121.93

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 Utah

Capitol Reef National ParkDark Sky Place
Capitol Reef National ParkWayne County
Arches National ParkDark Sky Place
Arches National ParkGrand County
Bryce Canyon National ParkDark Sky Place
Bryce Canyon National ParkGarfield County
TorreyDark Sky Place
TorreyWayne County
Canyonlands National ParkDark Sky Place
Canyonlands National ParkSan Juan County
Rainbow Bridge National MonumentDark Sky Place
Rainbow Bridge National MonumentSan Juan County
Dead Horse Point State ParkDark Sky Place
Dead Horse Point State ParkGrand County
Zion National ParkDark Sky Place
Zion National ParkWashington County
Cedar Breaks National MonumentDark Sky Place
Cedar Breaks National MonumentIron County
Hovenweep National MonumentDark Sky Place
Hovenweep National MonumentSan Juan County
Goosenecks State ParkDark Sky Place
Goosenecks State ParkSan Juan County
Goblin Valley State ParkDark Sky Place
Goblin Valley State ParkWayne County
Natural Bridges National MonumentDark Sky Place
Natural Bridges National MonumentSan Juan County
Kodachrome Basin State ParkDark Sky Place
Kodachrome Basin State ParkKane County
Antelope Island State ParkDark Sky Place
Antelope Island State ParkDavis County
East Canyon State ParkDark Sky Place
East Canyon State ParkMorgan County
Steinaker State ParkDark Sky Place
Steinaker State ParkUintah County
Dark Sky Place
Rockport State ParkSummit County
Dark Sky Place
Weber County North Fork ParkWeber 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 Utah?
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 Utah?
What time is the Milky Way visible tonight?
Use the Milky Way planner with your location for exact rise, transit and dark-window times.