From central West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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
113
Bortle 1–3 (est.)
Milky Way core visibility in West Virginia by month
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 4:23 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:45 PM – 3:55 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:26 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:31 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | — | — | 0° | — |
| December | — | — | -19° | — |
Computed for central West Virginia (38.5, -80.33) — 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 West Virginia
| Location | Type | County | Est. Bortle | Zenith mag/arcsec² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beartown State Park | State Park | Greenbrier County | 2 | 21.82 |
| Chief Logan State Park | State Park | Logan County | 2 | 21.75 |
| Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park | State Park | Pocahontas County | 2 | 21.82 |
| Cass Scenic Railroad State Park | State Park | Pocahontas County | 2 | 21.81 |
| Cedar Creek State Park | State Park | Gilmer County | 2 | 21.79 |
| Watoga State Park | State Park | Pocahontas County | 2 | 21.81 |
| Holly River State Park | State Park | Webster County | 2 | 21.83 |
| Twin Falls Resort State Park | State Park | Wyoming County | 2 | 21.76 |
| Greenbrier River Trail | State Park | Pocahontas County | 2 | 21.82 |
| Cranberry Glades Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Pocahontas County | 2 | 21.83 |
| Gunpowder Ridge Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Greenbrier County | 2 | 21.76 |
| Red Lick Overlook Point of Interest | Scenic Viewpoint | Pocahontas County | 2 | 21.83 |
| Babcock State Park | State Park | Fayette County | 3 | 21.68 |
| Canaan Valley Resort State Park | State Park | Tucker County | 3 | 21.69 |
| Camp Creek State Park | State Park | Mercer County | 3 | 21.67 |
| Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park | State Park | Nicholas County | 2 | 21.73 |
| North Bend State Park | State Park | Ritchie County | 2 | 21.70 |
| Moncove Lake State Park | State Park | Monroe County | 3 | 21.68 |
| North Bend Rail Trail | State Park | Ritchie County | 2 | 21.71 |
| Pipestem Resort State Park | State Park | Summers County | 2 | 21.70 |
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 West Virginia?
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 West Virginia?
Our darkest modeled locations include Beartown State Park, Chief Logan State Park, Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, Cass Scenic Railroad 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.