Milky Way Calendar Australia 2026
The best nights to photograph the Milky Way core in every state and territory: fully dark sky, core up, moon out of the way.
Choose your state
In 2026 the core season runs from 28 January to 8 November. The moon sets those dates, so they barely change from state to state. South Australia has the most great nights (132), and the core climbs highest in Queensland, to 88°.
| State | Great nights | Longest window | Best month | Highest core |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 131 | 11h 00m | June | 85° |
| Victoria | 131 | 11h 10m | June | 81° |
| Queensland | 128 | 10h 40m | June | 88° |
| Western Australia | 128 | 11h 00m | June | 87° |
| South Australia | 132 | 11h 10m | June | 84° |
| Tasmania | 132 | 11h 30m | June | 76° |
| Australian Capital Territory | 132 | 11h 10m | June | 84° |
| Northern Territory | 120 | 10h 00m | June | 73° |
Figures are for each capital. A great night has a dark core window of 3 hours or more. Each state's page has the night-by-night calendar, regional towns and dark-sky sites.