Milky Way Calendar New South Wales 2027
From Sydney, the core is up after dark from 1 February to 2 November 2027. Best months: June and July. It climbs to 85° above the northern horizon.
In Coonabarabran the core peaks at 88°, 3° higher than in Sydney, with 125 great nights to Sydney's 125 across NSW.
Times are Sydney local time (AEST, or AEDT during daylight saving). A good night has at least an hour where the sun is more than 18° below the horizon, the galactic core is at least 10° up, and the moon is down or less than 25% lit.
Month by month from Sydney
| Month | Core up (15th) | Typical dark window | Great nights | Good nights | Best dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Core not up after dark | ||||
| February | 2:30 am – 3:20 pm | 1h 50m | 0 | 14 | 14 Feb, 15 Feb, 16 Feb |
| March | 12:40 am – 1:30 pm | 4h 10m | 15 | 2 | 14 Mar, 15 Mar, 16 Mar |
| April | 9:40 pm – 10:30 am | 6h 10m | 16 | 4 | 8 Apr, 11 Apr, 12 Apr |
| May | 7:40 pm – 8:30 am | 7h 00m | 19 | 4 | 9 May, 10 May, 31 May |
| June | 5:40 pm – 6:30 am | 6h 45m | 20 | 2 | 4 Jun, 5 Jun, 6 Jun |
| July | 3:40 pm – 4:30 am | 7h 10m | 19 | 4 | 1 Jul, 2 Jul, 3 Jul |
| August | 1:40 pm – 2:30 am | 6h 30m | 18 | 2 | 1 Aug, 2 Aug, 3 Aug |
| September | 11:40 am – 12:30 am | 4h 25m | 14 | 3 | 1 Sep, 2 Sep, 3 Sep |
| October | 10:40 am – 11:30 pm | 2h 15m | 4 | 13 | 1 Oct, 2 Oct, 3 Oct |
| November | 8:40 am – 9:30 pm | 1h 30m | 0 | 2 | 1 Nov, 2 Nov |
| December | Core not up after dark | ||||
Core up: when the galactic core is at least 10° above the horizon on the night of the 15th, including the part before dusk or after dawn. Typical dark window: the middle length of the month's nights in the calendar.
Night by night from Sydney
January 2027
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February 2027
March 2027
April 2027
May 2027
June 2027
July 2027
August 2027
September 2027
October 2027
November 2027
December 2027
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3h+ dark window 1h 30m – 3h 1h – 1h 30m. Select a night to see its times.
| Night | Dark window | Length | Moon | Core |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 1 Feb | 3:25 am – 4:35 am | 1h 10m | Up, 22% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 110°, up to 24° |
| Tue 2 Feb | 3:24 am – 4:44 am | 1h 20m | Up, 14% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 109°, up to 26° |
| Wed 3 Feb | 3:23 am – 4:43 am | 1h 20m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 108°, up to 27° |
| Thu 4 Feb | 3:12 am – 4:42 am | 1h 30m | Up, 4% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 108°, up to 27° |
| Fri 5 Feb | 3:10 am – 4:40 am | 1h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → ESE 108°, up to 28° |
| Sat 6 Feb | 3:09 am – 4:49 am | 1h 40m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → ESE 106°, up to 30° |
| Sun 7 Feb | 3:08 am – 4:48 am | 1h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → ESE 106°, up to 31° |
| Mon 8 Feb | 2:57 am – 4:47 am | 1h 50m | Down (3%) | ESE 118° → ESE 106°, up to 31° |
| Tue 9 Feb | 2:56 am – 4:46 am | 1h 50m | Down (8%) | ESE 118° → ESE 106°, up to 32° |
| Wed 10 Feb | 2:54 am – 4:54 am | 2h 00m | Down (15%) | ESE 118° → ESE 104°, up to 35° |
| Thu 11 Feb | 2:53 am – 4:53 am | 2h 00m | Down (23%) | ESE 117° → ESE 104°, up to 35° |
| Fri 12 Feb | 2:42 am – 4:52 am | 2h 10m | Down (33%) | ESE 118° → ESE 104°, up to 36° |
| Sat 13 Feb | 2:41 am – 4:51 am | 2h 10m | Down (44%) | ESE 118° → ESE 103°, up to 36° |
| Sun 14 Feb | 2:39 am – 4:59 am | 2h 20m | Down (55%) | ESE 117° → ESE 102°, up to 39° |
| Mon 15 Feb | 2:38 am – 4:58 am | 2h 20m | Down (66%) | ESE 117° → ESE 102°, up to 39° |
| Tue 16 Feb | 2:27 am – 4:57 am | 2h 30m | Down (77%) | ESE 118° → ESE 102°, up to 40° |
| Wed 17 Feb | 3:05 am – 4:55 am | 1h 50m | Down (86%) | ESE 113° → ESE 101°, up to 40° |
| Wed 3 Mar | 1:25 am – 5:15 am | 3h 50m | Up, 20% lit | ESE 118° → E 93°, up to 56° |
| Thu 4 Mar | 1:24 am – 5:14 am | 3h 50m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 118° → E 93°, up to 56° |
| Fri 5 Mar | 1:23 am – 5:13 am | 3h 50m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 118° → E 92°, up to 57° |
| Sat 6 Mar | 1:21 am – 5:21 am | 4h 00m | Up, 3% lit | ESE 117° → E 91°, up to 59° |
| Sun 7 Mar | 1:10 am – 5:20 am | 4h 10m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → E 90°, up to 60° |
| Mon 8 Mar | 1:08 am – 5:18 am | 4h 10m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → E 90°, up to 60° |
| Tue 9 Mar | 1:07 am – 5:17 am | 4h 10m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → E 90°, up to 61° |
| Wed 10 Mar | 1:05 am – 5:25 am | 4h 20m | Down (5%) | ESE 117° → E 88°, up to 64° |
| Thu 11 Mar | 12:54 am – 5:24 am | 4h 30m | Down (11%) | ESE 118° → E 87°, up to 64° |
| Fri 12 Mar | 12:52 am – 5:22 am | 4h 30m | Down (18%) | ESE 118° → E 87°, up to 65° |
| Sat 13 Mar | 12:51 am – 5:21 am | 4h 30m | Down (28%) | ESE 118° → E 87°, up to 65° |
| Sun 14 Mar | 12:49 am – 5:29 am | 4h 40m | Down (39%) | ESE 117° → E 84°, up to 68° |
| Mon 15 Mar | 12:48 am – 5:28 am | 4h 40m | Down (50%) | ESE 117° → E 84°, up to 68° |
| Tue 16 Mar | 12:46 am – 5:26 am | 4h 40m | Down (62%) | ESE 117° → E 83°, up to 69° |
| Wed 17 Mar | 1:55 am – 5:25 am | 3h 30m | Down (73%) | ESE 109° → E 83°, up to 69° |
| Thu 18 Mar | 3:13 am – 5:23 am | 2h 10m | Down (83%) | E 100° → E 82°, up to 70° |
| Fri 19 Mar | 4:22 am – 5:32 am | 1h 10m | Down (91%) | E 92° → E 80°, up to 72° |
| Wed 31 Mar | 11:35 pm – 1:05 am | 1h 30m | Down (36%) | ESE 118° → ESE 108°, up to 27° |
| Thu 1 Apr | 11:34 pm – 2:04 am | 2h 30m | Down (27%) | ESE 118° → ESE 102°, up to 40° |
| Fri 2 Apr | 11:32 pm – 5:42 am | 6h 10m | Up, 19% lit | ESE 118° → NNE 33°, up to 84° |
| Sat 3 Apr | 11:31 pm – 4:41 am | 6h 10m | Up, 12% lit | ESE 117° → NNE 28°, up to 85° |
| Sun 4 Apr | 10:20 pm – 4:40 am | 6h 20m | Up, 6% lit | ESE 118° → NNE 22°, up to 85° |
| Mon 5 Apr | 10:18 pm – 4:38 am | 6h 20m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → NNE 16°, up to 85° |
| Tue 6 Apr | 10:17 pm – 4:47 am | 6h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → N 10°, up to 85° |
| Wed 7 Apr | 10:16 pm – 4:46 am | 6h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → N 3°, up to 85° |
| Thu 8 Apr | 10:05 pm – 4:45 am | 6h 40m | Down (3%) | ESE 118° → N 356°, up to 85° |
| Fri 9 Apr | 10:03 pm – 4:43 am | 6h 40m | Down (8%) | ESE 118° → N 350°, up to 85° |
| Sat 10 Apr | 10:02 pm – 4:42 am | 6h 40m | Down (15%) | ESE 118° → N 8°, up to 85° |
| Sun 11 Apr | 10:01 pm – 4:51 am | 6h 50m | Down (24%) | ESE 117° → N 1°, up to 85° |
| Mon 12 Apr | 9:50 pm – 4:50 am | 7h 00m | Down (35%) | ESE 118° → N 354°, up to 85° |
| Tue 13 Apr | 10:38 pm – 4:48 am | 6h 10m | Down (46%) | ESE 112° → NNW 348°, up to 85° |
| Wed 14 Apr | 11:57 pm – 4:47 am | 4h 50m | Down (58%) | ESE 103° → N 6°, up to 85° |
| Thu 15 Apr | 1:06 am – 4:46 am | 3h 40m | Down (69%) | E 95° → N 359°, up to 85° |
| Fri 16 Apr | 2:15 am – 4:55 am | 2h 40m | Down (80%) | E 85° → N 352°, up to 85° |
| Sat 17 Apr | 3:24 am – 4:54 am | 1h 30m | Down (88%) | ENE 59° → N 10°, up to 85° |
| Tue 27 Apr | 8:53 pm – 10:03 pm | 1h 10m | Down (61%) | ESE 118° → ESE 110°, up to 24° |
| Wed 28 Apr | 8:52 pm – 11:02 pm | 2h 10m | Down (52%) | ESE 117° → ESE 103°, up to 37° |
| Thu 29 Apr | 8:41 pm – 12:01 am | 3h 20m | Down (43%) | ESE 118° → E 96°, up to 50° |
| Fri 30 Apr | 8:40 pm – 12:50 am | 4h 10m | Down (33%) | ESE 118° → E 90°, up to 61° |
| Sat 1 May | 8:39 pm – 1:49 am | 5h 10m | Down (25%) | ESE 118° → ENE 78°, up to 74° |
| Sun 2 May | 8:38 pm – 4:58 am | 8h 20m | Up, 17% lit | ESE 117° → N 1°, up to 85° |
| Mon 3 May | 8:28 pm – 4:58 am | 8h 30m | Up, 10% lit | ESE 118° → N 353°, up to 85° |
| Tue 4 May | 8:27 pm – 5:07 am | 8h 40m | Up, 5% lit | ESE 118° → N 11°, up to 85° |
| Wed 5 May | 8:26 pm – 5:06 am | 8h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → N 3°, up to 85° |
| Thu 6 May | 8:15 pm – 5:05 am | 8h 50m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → N 355°, up to 85° |
| Fri 7 May | 8:14 pm – 5:04 am | 8h 50m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → NNE 12°, up to 85° |
| Sat 8 May | 8:14 pm – 5:04 am | 8h 50m | Down (6%) | ESE 117° → N 4°, up to 85° |
| Sun 9 May | 8:03 pm – 5:03 am | 9h 00m | Down (12%) | ESE 118° → N 356°, up to 85° |
| Mon 10 May | 8:02 pm – 5:02 am | 9h 00m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 118° → NNW 348°, up to 85° |
| Tue 11 May | 9:32 pm – 5:02 am | 7h 30m | Down (31%) | ESE 107° → N 5°, up to 85° |
| Wed 12 May | 10:51 pm – 5:11 am | 6h 20m | Down (43%) | E 99° → N 356°, up to 85° |
| Thu 13 May | 12:00 am – 5:10 am | 5h 10m | Down (54%) | E 90° → NNW 348°, up to 85° |
| Fri 14 May | 1:10 am – 5:10 am | 4h 00m | Down (66%) | ENE 74° → N 5°, up to 85° |
| Sat 15 May | 2:19 am – 5:09 am | 2h 50m | Down (76%) | NNW 333°, up to 85° |
| Sun 16 May | 3:18 am – 5:08 am | 1h 50m | Down (85%) | WNW 282°, up to 73° |
| Tue 25 May | 7:04 pm – 8:54 pm | 1h 50m | Down (76%) | ESE 118° → ESE 105°, up to 32° |
| Wed 26 May | 7:04 pm – 9:44 pm | 2h 40m | Down (68%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 43° |
| Thu 27 May | 6:54 pm – 10:44 pm | 3h 50m | Down (59%) | ESE 118° → E 93°, up to 56° |
| Fri 28 May | 6:53 pm – 11:43 pm | 4h 50m | Down (49%) | ESE 118° → E 83°, up to 70° |
| Sat 29 May | 6:53 pm – 12:43 am | 5h 50m | Down (39%) | ESE 117° → NE 54°, up to 82° |
| Sun 30 May | 6:43 pm – 1:43 am | 7h 00m | Down (30%) | ESE 118° → N 349°, up to 85° |
| Mon 31 May | 6:43 pm – 5:13 am | 10h 30m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 117° → N 6°, up to 85° |
| Tue 1 Jun | 6:32 pm – 5:22 am | 10h 50m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 118° → N 356°, up to 85° |
| Wed 2 Jun | 6:32 pm – 5:22 am | 10h 50m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 118° → NNE 12°, up to 85° |
| Thu 3 Jun | 6:32 pm – 5:22 am | 10h 50m | Down (2%) | ESE 117° → N 2°, up to 85° |
| Fri 4 Jun | 6:22 pm – 5:22 am | 11h 00m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → N 353°, up to 85° |
| Sat 5 Jun | 6:22 pm – 5:22 am | 11h 00m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → N 9°, up to 85° |
| Sun 6 Jun | 6:22 pm – 5:22 am | 11h 00m | Down (4%) | ESE 117° → N 359°, up to 85° |
| Mon 7 Jun | 6:22 pm – 5:22 am | 11h 00m | Up, 10% lit | ESE 117° → N 349°, up to 85° |
| Tue 8 Jun | 6:22 pm – 5:22 am | 11h 00m | Up, 18% lit | ESE 116° → N 4°, up to 85° |
| Wed 9 Jun | 9:42 pm – 5:22 am | 7h 40m | Down (28%) | E 94° → N 354°, up to 85° |
| Thu 10 Jun | 10:51 pm – 5:21 am | 6h 30m | Down (39%) | E 83° → N 10°, up to 85° |
| Fri 11 Jun | 12:02 am – 5:22 am | 5h 20m | Down (51%) | NE 43° → N 0°, up to 85° |
| Sat 12 Jun | 1:02 am – 5:22 am | 4h 20m | Down (62%) | WNW 294°, up to 79° |
| Sun 13 Jun | 2:12 am – 5:22 am | 3h 10m | Down (73%) | W 273°, up to 64° |
| Mon 14 Jun | 3:22 am – 5:22 am | 2h 00m | Down (82%) | W 263°, up to 49° |
| Tue 15 Jun | 4:22 am – 5:22 am | 1h 00m | Down (89%) | WSW 256°, up to 36° |
| Tue 22 Jun | 6:23 pm – 7:43 pm | 1h 20m | Down (88%) | ESE 110° → ESE 101°, up to 40° |
| Wed 23 Jun | 6:23 pm – 8:33 pm | 2h 10m | Down (82%) | ESE 109° → E 96°, up to 51° |
| Thu 24 Jun | 6:23 pm – 9:33 pm | 3h 10m | Down (74%) | ESE 109° → E 87°, up to 65° |
| Fri 25 Jun | 6:24 pm – 10:34 pm | 4h 10m | Down (65%) | ESE 109° → ENE 70°, up to 78° |
| Sat 26 Jun | 6:24 pm – 11:24 pm | 5h 00m | Down (55%) | ESE 108° → N 356°, up to 85° |
| Sun 27 Jun | 6:24 pm – 12:24 am | 6h 00m | Down (45%) | ESE 108° → N 11°, up to 85° |
| Mon 28 Jun | 6:25 pm – 1:25 am | 7h 00m | Down (35%) | ESE 107° → N 0°, up to 85° |
| Tue 29 Jun | 6:25 pm – 2:35 am | 8h 10m | Down (25%) | ESE 107° → N 349°, up to 85° |
| Wed 30 Jun | 6:25 pm – 5:25 am | 11h 00m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 106° → N 4°, up to 85° |
| Thu 1 Jul | 6:26 pm – 5:26 am | 11h 00m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 106° → N 353°, up to 85° |
| Fri 2 Jul | 6:26 pm – 5:26 am | 11h 00m | Down (3%) | ESE 105° → N 8°, up to 85° |
| Sat 3 Jul | 6:26 pm – 5:16 am | 10h 50m | Down (0%) | ESE 105° → N 357°, up to 85° |
| Sun 4 Jul | 6:27 pm – 5:17 am | 10h 50m | Down (0%) | ESE 104° → N 11°, up to 85° |
| Mon 5 Jul | 6:27 pm – 5:07 am | 10h 40m | Down (3%) | ESE 104° → N 0°, up to 85° |
| Tue 6 Jul | 6:27 pm – 5:07 am | 10h 40m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 104° → N 349°, up to 85° |
| Wed 7 Jul | 6:28 pm – 5:08 am | 10h 40m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 103° → N 3°, up to 85° |
| Thu 8 Jul | 9:48 pm – 4:58 am | 7h 10m | Down (25%) | ENE 67° → N 352°, up to 85° |
| Fri 9 Jul | 10:49 pm – 4:59 am | 6h 10m | Down (36%) | NW 321°, up to 84° |
| Sat 10 Jul | 11:59 pm – 4:49 am | 4h 50m | Down (47%) | W 278°, up to 70° |
| Sun 11 Jul | 1:00 am – 4:50 am | 3h 50m | Down (58%) | W 267°, up to 56° |
| Mon 12 Jul | 2:10 am – 4:40 am | 2h 30m | Down (68%) | W 259°, up to 41° |
| Tue 13 Jul | 3:11 am – 4:41 am | 1h 30m | Down (78%) | WSW 252°, up to 28° |
| Thu 22 Jul | 6:35 pm – 8:25 pm | 1h 50m | Down (86%) | E 96° → ENE 78°, up to 73° |
| Fri 23 Jul | 6:36 pm – 9:16 pm | 2h 40m | Down (79%) | E 95° → NE 44°, up to 83° |
| Sat 24 Jul | 6:36 pm – 10:16 pm | 3h 40m | Down (70%) | E 95° → N 350°, up to 85° |
| Sun 25 Jul | 6:37 pm – 11:17 pm | 4h 40m | Down (60%) | E 94° → N 4°, up to 85° |
| Mon 26 Jul | 6:37 pm – 12:17 am | 5h 40m | Down (50%) | E 94° → N 353°, up to 85° |
| Tue 27 Jul | 6:38 pm – 1:28 am | 6h 50m | Down (39%) | E 93° → N 7°, up to 85° |
| Wed 28 Jul | 6:38 pm – 2:38 am | 8h 00m | Down (29%) | E 93° → N 355°, up to 85° |
| Thu 29 Jul | 6:39 pm – 3:39 am | 9h 00m | Down (19%) | E 92° → N 10°, up to 85° |
| Fri 30 Jul | 6:40 pm – 3:30 am | 8h 50m | Down (11%) | E 92° → N 358°, up to 85° |
| Sat 31 Jul | 6:40 pm – 3:30 am | 8h 50m | Down (5%) | E 91° → NNE 12°, up to 85° |
| Sun 1 Aug | 6:41 pm – 3:21 am | 8h 40m | Down (1%) | E 90° → N 1°, up to 85° |
| Mon 2 Aug | 6:41 pm – 3:21 am | 8h 40m | Down (0%) | E 90° → N 349°, up to 85° |
| Tue 3 Aug | 6:42 pm – 3:22 am | 8h 40m | Down (2%) | E 89° → N 3°, up to 85° |
| Wed 4 Aug | 6:42 pm – 3:12 am | 8h 30m | Up, 7% lit | E 89° → N 352°, up to 85° |
| Thu 5 Aug | 6:43 pm – 3:13 am | 8h 30m | Up, 14% lit | E 88° → N 6°, up to 85° |
| Fri 6 Aug | 6:44 pm – 3:04 am | 8h 20m | Up, 22% lit | E 87° → N 354°, up to 85° |
| Sat 7 Aug | 10:44 pm – 3:04 am | 4h 20m | Down (32%) | W 271°, up to 63° |
| Sun 8 Aug | 11:55 pm – 2:55 am | 3h 00m | Down (43%) | W 262°, up to 47° |
| Mon 9 Aug | 12:55 am – 2:55 am | 2h 00m | Down (53%) | WSW 255°, up to 34° |
| Fri 20 Aug | 6:52 pm – 8:02 pm | 1h 10m | Down (90%) | ENE 71° → NNE 11°, up to 85° |
| Sat 21 Aug | 6:52 pm – 9:02 pm | 2h 10m | Down (83%) | ENE 69° → N 0°, up to 85° |
| Sun 22 Aug | 6:53 pm – 10:03 pm | 3h 10m | Down (75%) | ENE 66° → NNW 348°, up to 85° |
| Mon 23 Aug | 6:54 pm – 11:14 pm | 4h 20m | Down (65%) | ENE 64° → N 2°, up to 85° |
| Tue 24 Aug | 6:54 pm – 12:14 am | 5h 20m | Down (55%) | ENE 60° → N 350°, up to 85° |
| Wed 25 Aug | 6:55 pm – 1:25 am | 6h 30m | Down (43%) | ENE 57° → N 4°, up to 85° |
| Thu 26 Aug | 6:55 pm – 1:45 am | 6h 50m | Down (32%) | NE 52° → N 353°, up to 85° |
| Fri 27 Aug | 6:56 pm – 1:46 am | 6h 50m | Down (22%) | NE 46° → N 7°, up to 85° |
| Sat 28 Aug | 6:57 pm – 1:37 am | 6h 40m | Down (13%) | NE 40° → N 355°, up to 85° |
| Sun 29 Aug | 6:57 pm – 1:37 am | 6h 40m | Down (6%) | NNE 32° → N 9°, up to 85° |
| Mon 30 Aug | 6:58 pm – 1:28 am | 6h 30m | Down (2%) | NNE 22° → N 357°, up to 85° |
| Tue 31 Aug | 6:59 pm – 1:29 am | 6h 30m | Down (0%) | NNE 11°, up to 85° |
| Wed 1 Sep | 6:59 pm – 1:19 am | 6h 20m | Down (1%) | N 0°, up to 85° |
| Thu 2 Sep | 7:00 pm – 1:20 am | 6h 20m | Up, 5% lit | NNW 348°, up to 85° |
| Fri 3 Sep | 7:00 pm – 1:20 am | 6h 20m | Up, 11% lit | NNW 337°, up to 85° |
| Sat 4 Sep | 7:01 pm – 1:11 am | 6h 10m | Up, 19% lit | NNW 328°, up to 84° |
| Sun 5 Sep | 10:42 pm – 1:12 am | 2h 30m | Down (28%) | WSW 258°, up to 39° |
| Mon 6 Sep | 11:52 pm – 1:02 am | 1h 10m | Down (38%) | WSW 250°, up to 25° |
| Sun 19 Sep | 7:11 pm – 9:01 pm | 1h 50m | Down (87%) | W 280°, up to 72° |
| Mon 20 Sep | 7:12 pm – 10:02 pm | 2h 50m | Down (79%) | W 279°, up to 71° |
| Tue 21 Sep | 7:13 pm – 11:13 pm | 4h 00m | Down (70%) | W 278°, up to 70° |
| Wed 22 Sep | 7:14 pm – 12:04 am | 4h 50m | Down (59%) | W 277°, up to 69° |
| Thu 23 Sep | 7:14 pm – 11:54 pm | 4h 40m | Down (47%) | W 276°, up to 68° |
| Fri 24 Sep | 7:15 pm – 11:55 pm | 4h 40m | Down (36%) | W 275°, up to 67° |
| Sat 25 Sep | 7:16 pm – 11:46 pm | 4h 30m | Down (25%) | W 274°, up to 66° |
| Sun 26 Sep | 7:17 pm – 11:47 pm | 4h 30m | Down (15%) | W 273°, up to 65° |
| Mon 27 Sep | 7:18 pm – 11:38 pm | 4h 20m | Down (8%) | W 272°, up to 64° |
| Tue 28 Sep | 7:18 pm – 11:38 pm | 4h 20m | Down (3%) | W 272°, up to 63° |
| Wed 29 Sep | 7:19 pm – 11:29 pm | 4h 10m | Down (0%) | W 271°, up to 62° |
| Thu 30 Sep | 7:20 pm – 11:30 pm | 4h 10m | Down (1%) | W 270°, up to 61° |
| Fri 1 Oct | 7:21 pm – 11:21 pm | 4h 00m | Up, 3% lit | W 270°, up to 60° |
| Sat 2 Oct | 7:22 pm – 11:22 pm | 4h 00m | Up, 8% lit | W 269°, up to 59° |
| Sun 3 Oct | 8:23 pm – 12:23 am | 4h 00m | Up, 15% lit | W 268°, up to 58° |
| Mon 4 Oct | 8:24 pm – 12:14 am | 3h 50m | Up, 23% lit | W 268°, up to 57° |
| Mon 18 Oct | 8:37 pm – 9:57 pm | 1h 20m | Down (91%) | W 260°, up to 43° |
| Tue 19 Oct | 8:38 pm – 10:58 pm | 2h 20m | Down (83%) | W 259°, up to 42° |
| Wed 20 Oct | 8:39 pm – 11:09 pm | 2h 30m | Down (74%) | W 259°, up to 41° |
| Thu 21 Oct | 8:40 pm – 11:10 pm | 2h 30m | Down (63%) | WSW 258°, up to 40° |
| Fri 22 Oct | 8:41 pm – 11:01 pm | 2h 20m | Down (51%) | WSW 258°, up to 39° |
| Sat 23 Oct | 8:43 pm – 11:03 pm | 2h 20m | Down (40%) | WSW 257°, up to 38° |
| Sun 24 Oct | 8:44 pm – 10:54 pm | 2h 10m | Down (28%) | WSW 257°, up to 37° |
| Mon 25 Oct | 8:45 pm – 10:55 pm | 2h 10m | Down (18%) | WSW 256°, up to 35° |
| Tue 26 Oct | 8:46 pm – 10:46 pm | 2h 00m | Down (10%) | WSW 256°, up to 34° |
| Wed 27 Oct | 8:47 pm – 10:47 pm | 2h 00m | Down (5%) | WSW 255°, up to 33° |
| Thu 28 Oct | 8:48 pm – 10:38 pm | 1h 50m | Down (1%) | WSW 255°, up to 32° |
| Fri 29 Oct | 8:50 pm – 10:40 pm | 1h 50m | Down (0%) | WSW 254°, up to 31° |
| Sat 30 Oct | 8:51 pm – 10:31 pm | 1h 40m | Down (2%) | WSW 254°, up to 30° |
| Sun 31 Oct | 8:52 pm – 10:32 pm | 1h 40m | Up, 5% lit | WSW 253°, up to 29° |
| Mon 1 Nov | 8:53 pm – 10:23 pm | 1h 30m | Up, 11% lit | WSW 252°, up to 28° |
| Tue 2 Nov | 8:54 pm – 10:24 pm | 1h 30m | Up, 17% lit | WSW 252°, up to 27° |
Across New South Wales
The calendar above is worked out for Sydney. The moon sets the season's first and last nights, so they barely move across NSW. What changes is how high the core climbs and how long the dark windows run.
| Town | Great nights | Good nights | Longest window | Best month | Highest core |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 125 | 50 | 11h 00m | June | 85° |
| Coonabarabran | 125 | 50 | 10h 50m | June | 88° |
| Broken Hill | 125 | 48 | 11h 00m | June | 87° |
Dark-sky sites in New South Wales
Sydney's own sky is too bright to show the core well. These spots are dark enough to see it with the naked eye on a good night.
- Warrumbungle National Park, 355 km from Sydney. Australia's first Dark Sky Park, beside Siding Spring Observatory.
- Capertee Valley, 135 km from Sydney. A wide valley under sandstone cliffs, about three hours from Sydney.
- Mungo National Park, 746 km from Sydney. A dry outback lakebed with flat, open horizons.
- Charlotte Pass, Kosciuszko National Park, 387 km from Sydney. High alpine country with cold, clear winter nights.
Questions
When is the best time to see the Milky Way in New South Wales in 2027?
June and July. In June, 20 nights from Sydney have a dark core window of 3 hours or more, and the typical window is 6h 45m. Plan around the new moon: the nights either side of full moon drop out.
How high does the Milky Way core get in New South Wales?
From Sydney it climbs to 85° above the northern horizon. In Coonabarabran it reaches 88°. The higher the core, the less haze and light glow it shines through.
When does the Milky Way season start and end in New South Wales?
In 2027 the first night with the core up in a dark sky is 1 February, and the last is 2 November. Early in the season the core rises before dawn; by the end it is low in the west soon after dusk.
What time is the core up in June?
On June 15 it is more than 10° up from 5:40 pm to 6:30 am Sydney time. The dark part of that is the window shown for each night above.