From central Wyoming 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 Wyoming 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
564
Bortle 1–3 (est.)
Milky Way core visibility in Wyoming by month
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | — | -3° | — |
| February | — | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:16 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:20 AM – 3:40 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:37 PM – 3:07 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:23 PM – 1:53 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:23 PM – 11:43 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:15 PM – 9:45 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | — | — | 8° | — |
| November | — | — | -3° | — |
| December | — | — | -20° | — |
Computed for central Wyoming (44.42, -110.71) — 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 | 12:02 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Tue, Dec 08, 2026 | 5:52 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Thu, Jan 07, 2027 | 1:24 PM | Core below horizon at night |
| Sat, Feb 06, 2027 | 8:56 AM | Core below horizon at night |
| Mon, Mar 08, 2027 | 2:29 AM | Core season |
| Tue, Apr 06, 2027 | 5:51 PM | Core season |
| Thu, May 06, 2027 | 4:58 AM | Core season |
| Fri, Jun 04, 2027 | 1:40 PM | Core season |
| Sat, Jul 03, 2027 | 9:02 PM | Core season |
| Mon, Aug 02, 2027 | 4:05 AM | Core season |
| Tue, Aug 31, 2027 | 11:41 AM | Core season |
| Wed, Sep 29, 2027 | 8:36 PM | Core season |
| Fri, Oct 29, 2027 | 7:36 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 Wyoming
| Location | Type | County | Est. Bortle | Zenith mag/arcsec² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Fred Steele State Historic Site | State Park | Carbon County | 1 | 21.90 |
| Glendo State Park | State Park | Platte County | 1 | 21.92 |
| Keyhole State Park | State Park | Crook County | 1 | 21.92 |
| Guernsey State Park | State Park | Platte County | 1 | 21.91 |
| Boysen State Park | State Park | Fremont County | 1 | 21.92 |
| Seminoe State Park | State Park | Carbon County | 1 | 21.92 |
| Granger Stage Station State Historic Site | State Park | Sweetwater County | 2 | 21.87 |
| Point of Rocks Stage Station State Historic Site | State Park | Sweetwater County | 1 | 21.91 |
| Blacktail Ponds Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Teton County | 2 | 21.88 |
| Albright View Turnout | Scenic Viewpoint | Teton County | 2 | 21.85 |
| Bunsen Peak Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Park County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Canary Spring (View of Top) | Scenic Viewpoint | Park County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Bar BC Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Teton County | 1 | 21.89 |
| Bow River Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Carbon County | 2 | 21.87 |
| Burgess Road Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Sheridan County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Emma Matilda Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Teton County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Gros Ventre Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Teton County | 1 | 21.90 |
| Jackson Lake Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Teton County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Jackson Point Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | Teton County | 1 | 21.93 |
| Lookout Point | Scenic Viewpoint | Park County | 1 | 21.94 |
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 Wyoming?
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 Wyoming?
Our darkest modeled locations include Fort Fred Steele State Historic Site, Glendo State Park, Keyhole State Park, Guernsey 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.