Milky Way Calendar Northern Territory 2027
From Darwin, the core is up after dark from 1 February to 2 November 2027. Best months: June and July. It climbs to 73° above the southern horizon.
In Yulara (Uluru) the core peaks at 86°, 13° higher than in Darwin, with 125 great nights to Darwin's 121 across NT.
Times are Darwin local time (ACST). 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 Darwin
| Month | Core up (15th) | Typical dark window | Great nights | Good nights | Best dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Core not up after dark | ||||
| February | 3:10 am – 2:20 pm | 1h 40m | 0 | 14 | 13 Feb, 14 Feb, 16 Feb |
| March | 1:20 am – 12:30 pm | 3h 45m | 14 | 3 | 12 Mar, 13 Mar, 15 Mar |
| April | 11:20 pm – 10:30 am | 5h 30m | 15 | 4 | 8 Apr, 11 Apr, 12 Apr |
| May | 9:20 pm – 8:30 am | 6h 20m | 19 | 4 | 9 May, 10 May, 31 May |
| June | 7:20 pm – 6:30 am | 5h 55m | 20 | 2 | 6 Jun, 7 Jun, 8 Jun |
| July | 5:20 pm – 4:40 am | 6h 10m | 19 | 3 | 1 Jul, 2 Jul, 3 Jul |
| August | 3:20 pm – 2:30 am | 5h 40m | 16 | 4 | 1 Aug, 2 Aug, 3 Aug |
| September | 1:20 pm – 12:30 am | 3h 55m | 14 | 2 | 1 Sep, 2 Sep, 3 Sep |
| October | 11:20 am – 10:30 pm | 2h 00m | 4 | 13 | 1 Oct, 2 Oct, 3 Oct |
| November | 9:20 am – 8:30 pm | 1h 25m | 0 | 1 | 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 Darwin
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 | 4:04 am – 5:24 am | 1h 20m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 116°, up to 28° |
| Tue 2 Feb | 4:04 am – 5:24 am | 1h 20m | Up, 14% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 116°, up to 28° |
| Wed 3 Feb | 4:03 am – 5:23 am | 1h 20m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 116°, up to 29° |
| Thu 4 Feb | 3:53 am – 5:23 am | 1h 30m | Up, 4% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 116°, up to 30° |
| Fri 5 Feb | 3:53 am – 5:23 am | 1h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → ESE 117°, up to 31° |
| Sat 6 Feb | 3:52 am – 5:22 am | 1h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 117°, up to 32° |
| Sun 7 Feb | 3:42 am – 5:22 am | 1h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → ESE 117°, up to 32° |
| Mon 8 Feb | 3:41 am – 5:21 am | 1h 40m | Down (4%) | ESE 118° → ESE 117°, up to 33° |
| Tue 9 Feb | 3:41 am – 5:21 am | 1h 40m | Down (8%) | ESE 117°, up to 34° |
| Wed 10 Feb | 3:31 am – 5:21 am | 1h 50m | Down (15%) | ESE 118° → ESE 117°, up to 35° |
| Thu 11 Feb | 3:30 am – 5:30 am | 2h 00m | Down (23%) | ESE 118° → ESE 117°, up to 38° |
| Fri 12 Feb | 3:30 am – 5:30 am | 2h 00m | Down (33%) | ESE 117°, up to 38° |
| Sat 13 Feb | 3:19 am – 5:29 am | 2h 10m | Down (44%) | ESE 118° → ESE 117°, up to 39° |
| Sun 14 Feb | 3:19 am – 5:29 am | 2h 10m | Down (56%) | ESE 118°, up to 40° |
| Mon 15 Feb | 3:18 am – 5:28 am | 2h 10m | Down (67%) | ESE 117° → ESE 118°, up to 41° |
| Tue 16 Feb | 3:08 am – 5:28 am | 2h 20m | Down (77%) | ESE 118°, up to 41° |
| Wed 17 Feb | 3:47 am – 5:27 am | 1h 40m | Down (86%) | ESE 117° → ESE 118°, up to 42° |
| Wed 3 Mar | 2:09 am – 5:29 am | 3h 20m | Up, 20% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 123°, up to 54° |
| Thu 4 Mar | 2:08 am – 5:28 am | 3h 20m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 123°, up to 55° |
| Fri 5 Mar | 1:58 am – 5:38 am | 3h 40m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 118° → SE 125°, up to 57° |
| Sat 6 Mar | 1:57 am – 5:37 am | 3h 40m | Up, 3% lit | ESE 118° → SE 126°, up to 58° |
| Sun 7 Mar | 1:56 am – 5:36 am | 3h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → SE 126°, up to 59° |
| Mon 8 Mar | 1:46 am – 5:36 am | 3h 50m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → SE 127°, up to 59° |
| Tue 9 Mar | 1:45 am – 5:35 am | 3h 50m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → SE 128°, up to 60° |
| Wed 10 Mar | 1:44 am – 5:34 am | 3h 50m | Down (5%) | ESE 118° → SE 128°, up to 61° |
| Thu 11 Mar | 1:44 am – 5:34 am | 3h 50m | Down (11%) | ESE 117° → SE 129°, up to 61° |
| Fri 12 Mar | 1:33 am – 5:33 am | 4h 00m | Down (19%) | ESE 118° → SE 130°, up to 62° |
| Sat 13 Mar | 1:32 am – 5:32 am | 4h 00m | Down (28%) | ESE 118° → SE 131°, up to 63° |
| Sun 14 Mar | 1:32 am – 5:32 am | 4h 00m | Down (39%) | ESE 117° → SE 132°, up to 63° |
| Mon 15 Mar | 1:21 am – 5:31 am | 4h 10m | Down (51%) | ESE 118° → SE 132°, up to 64° |
| Tue 16 Mar | 1:30 am – 5:30 am | 4h 00m | Down (63%) | ESE 117° → SE 133°, up to 64° |
| Wed 17 Mar | 2:40 am – 5:30 am | 2h 50m | Down (74%) | ESE 116° → SE 134°, up to 65° |
| Thu 18 Mar | 3:39 am – 5:39 am | 2h 00m | Down (83%) | ESE 118° → SE 139°, up to 67° |
| Fri 19 Mar | 4:38 am – 5:38 am | 1h 00m | Down (91%) | SE 125° → SE 140°, up to 68° |
| Wed 31 Mar | 12:21 am – 1:51 am | 1h 30m | Down (35%) | ESE 118° → ESE 117°, up to 31° |
| Thu 1 Apr | 12:20 am – 2:40 am | 2h 20m | Down (26%) | ESE 117° → ESE 118°, up to 42° |
| Fri 2 Apr | 12:09 am – 5:39 am | 5h 30m | Up, 18% lit | ESE 118° → S 173°, up to 73° |
| Sat 3 Apr | 12:09 am – 5:39 am | 5h 30m | Up, 12% lit | ESE 118° → S 176°, up to 73° |
| Sun 4 Apr | 12:08 am – 5:38 am | 5h 30m | Up, 6% lit | ESE 117° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Mon 5 Apr | 11:58 pm – 5:38 am | 5h 40m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → S 181°, up to 73° |
| Tue 6 Apr | 11:57 pm – 5:37 am | 5h 40m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → S 184°, up to 73° |
| Wed 7 Apr | 11:56 pm – 5:36 am | 5h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Thu 8 Apr | 11:46 pm – 5:36 am | 5h 50m | Down (3%) | ESE 118° → S 181°, up to 73° |
| Fri 9 Apr | 11:45 pm – 5:35 am | 5h 50m | Down (8%) | ESE 118° → S 184°, up to 73° |
| Sat 10 Apr | 11:45 pm – 5:35 am | 5h 50m | Down (15%) | ESE 117° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Sun 11 Apr | 11:34 pm – 5:34 am | 6h 00m | Down (25%) | ESE 118° → S 181°, up to 73° |
| Mon 12 Apr | 11:34 pm – 5:34 am | 6h 00m | Down (35%) | ESE 118° → S 176°, up to 73° |
| Tue 13 Apr | 12:23 am – 5:33 am | 5h 10m | Down (47%) | ESE 116° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Wed 14 Apr | 1:33 am – 5:33 am | 4h 00m | Down (59%) | ESE 117° → S 181°, up to 73° |
| Thu 15 Apr | 2:32 am – 5:32 am | 3h 00m | Down (70%) | ESE 122° → S 176°, up to 73° |
| Fri 16 Apr | 3:32 am – 5:32 am | 2h 00m | Down (80%) | SE 134° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Sat 17 Apr | 4:21 am – 5:31 am | 1h 10m | Down (88%) | SSE 160° → S 182°, up to 73° |
| Tue 27 Apr | 10:37 pm – 11:47 pm | 1h 10m | Down (61%) | ESE 117° → ESE 116°, up to 27° |
| Wed 28 Apr | 10:27 pm – 12:37 am | 2h 10m | Down (52%) | ESE 118° → ESE 117°, up to 39° |
| Thu 29 Apr | 10:26 pm – 1:16 am | 2h 50m | Down (42%) | ESE 118° → ESE 120°, up to 48° |
| Fri 30 Apr | 10:26 pm – 2:06 am | 3h 40m | Down (33%) | ESE 117° → SE 127°, up to 59° |
| Sat 1 May | 10:16 pm – 5:36 am | 7h 20m | Up, 24% lit | ESE 118° → S 181°, up to 73° |
| Sun 2 May | 10:15 pm – 5:35 am | 7h 20m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 118° → S 176°, up to 73° |
| Mon 3 May | 10:15 pm – 5:35 am | 7h 20m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 117° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Tue 4 May | 10:05 pm – 5:35 am | 7h 30m | Up, 4% lit | ESE 118° → S 182°, up to 73° |
| Wed 5 May | 10:04 pm – 5:34 am | 7h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → S 177°, up to 73° |
| Thu 6 May | 9:54 pm – 5:34 am | 7h 40m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → S 180°, up to 73° |
| Fri 7 May | 9:54 pm – 5:34 am | 7h 40m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → S 183°, up to 73° |
| Sat 8 May | 9:54 pm – 5:34 am | 7h 40m | Down (6%) | ESE 117° → S 178°, up to 73° |
| Sun 9 May | 9:44 pm – 5:34 am | 7h 50m | Down (13%) | ESE 118° → S 181°, up to 73° |
| Mon 10 May | 9:43 pm – 5:33 am | 7h 50m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 118° → S 184°, up to 73° |
| Tue 11 May | 11:13 pm – 5:33 am | 6h 20m | Down (32%) | ESE 117° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Wed 12 May | 12:13 am – 5:33 am | 5h 20m | Down (43%) | ESE 119° → S 182°, up to 73° |
| Thu 13 May | 1:13 am – 5:33 am | 4h 20m | Down (55%) | SE 126° → S 177°, up to 73° |
| Fri 14 May | 2:13 am – 5:33 am | 3h 20m | Down (67%) | SSE 147° → S 180°, up to 73° |
| Sat 15 May | 3:03 am – 5:43 am | 2h 40m | Down (77%) | S 183°, up to 73° |
| Sun 16 May | 4:02 am – 5:42 am | 1h 40m | Down (85%) | SW 221°, up to 67° |
| Tue 25 May | 8:42 pm – 10:22 pm | 1h 40m | Down (76%) | ESE 118° → ESE 117°, up to 33° |
| Wed 26 May | 8:42 pm – 11:12 pm | 2h 30m | Down (68%) | ESE 118° → ESE 119°, up to 44° |
| Thu 27 May | 8:32 pm – 12:02 am | 3h 30m | Down (58%) | ESE 118° → SE 124°, up to 56° |
| Fri 28 May | 8:32 pm – 12:52 am | 4h 20m | Down (49%) | ESE 118° → SE 136°, up to 66° |
| Sat 29 May | 8:32 pm – 1:32 am | 5h 00m | Down (39%) | ESE 117° → SSE 157°, up to 72° |
| Sun 30 May | 8:22 pm – 2:22 am | 6h 00m | Down (29%) | ESE 118° → S 182°, up to 73° |
| Mon 31 May | 8:22 pm – 5:42 am | 9h 20m | Up, 20% lit | ESE 118° → S 177°, up to 73° |
| Tue 1 Jun | 8:12 pm – 5:42 am | 9h 30m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 118° → S 180°, up to 73° |
| Wed 2 Jun | 8:12 pm – 5:42 am | 9h 30m | Up, 6% lit | ESE 118° → S 183°, up to 73° |
| Thu 3 Jun | 8:12 pm – 5:42 am | 9h 30m | Down (2%) | ESE 117° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Fri 4 Jun | 8:03 pm – 5:43 am | 9h 40m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → S 182°, up to 73° |
| Sat 5 Jun | 8:03 pm – 5:43 am | 9h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → S 177°, up to 73° |
| Sun 6 Jun | 7:53 pm – 5:43 am | 9h 50m | Down (4%) | ESE 118° → S 180°, up to 73° |
| Mon 7 Jun | 7:53 pm – 5:43 am | 9h 50m | Up, 10% lit | ESE 118° → S 183°, up to 73° |
| Tue 8 Jun | 7:53 pm – 5:43 am | 9h 50m | Up, 19% lit | ESE 117° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Wed 9 Jun | 11:03 pm – 5:43 am | 6h 40m | Down (29%) | ESE 123° → S 182°, up to 73° |
| Thu 10 Jun | 12:03 am – 5:43 am | 5h 40m | Down (40%) | SE 137° → S 177°, up to 73° |
| Fri 11 Jun | 12:54 am – 5:44 am | 4h 50m | Down (52%) | SSE 166° → S 181°, up to 73° |
| Sat 12 Jun | 1:54 am – 5:44 am | 3h 50m | Down (63%) | SSW 211°, up to 70° |
| Sun 13 Jun | 2:44 am – 5:44 am | 3h 00m | Down (73%) | SW 231°, up to 62° |
| Mon 14 Jun | 3:34 am – 5:44 am | 2h 10m | Down (82%) | WSW 239°, up to 51° |
| Tue 15 Jun | 4:34 am – 5:44 am | 1h 10m | Down (89%) | WSW 243°, up to 37° |
| Tue 22 Jun | 7:46 pm – 9:06 pm | 1h 20m | Down (88%) | ESE 116° → ESE 118°, up to 40° |
| Wed 23 Jun | 7:46 pm – 9:56 pm | 2h 10m | Down (81%) | ESE 116° → ESE 121°, up to 51° |
| Thu 24 Jun | 7:46 pm – 10:46 pm | 3h 00m | Down (73%) | ESE 116° → SE 130°, up to 62° |
| Fri 25 Jun | 7:46 pm – 11:26 pm | 3h 40m | Down (64%) | ESE 116° → SE 146°, up to 70° |
| Sat 26 Jun | 7:47 pm – 12:17 am | 4h 30m | Down (55%) | ESE 116° → S 182°, up to 73° |
| Sun 27 Jun | 7:47 pm – 1:07 am | 5h 20m | Down (44%) | ESE 116° → S 178°, up to 73° |
| Mon 28 Jun | 7:47 pm – 1:57 am | 6h 10m | Down (34%) | ESE 116° → S 181°, up to 73° |
| Tue 29 Jun | 7:47 pm – 5:37 am | 9h 50m | Up, 24% lit | ESE 116° → S 176°, up to 73° |
| Wed 30 Jun | 7:48 pm – 5:38 am | 9h 50m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 116° → S 180°, up to 73° |
| Thu 1 Jul | 7:48 pm – 5:28 am | 9h 40m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 117° → S 183°, up to 73° |
| Fri 2 Jul | 7:48 pm – 5:28 am | 9h 40m | Down (3%) | ESE 117° → S 178°, up to 73° |
| Sat 3 Jul | 7:48 pm – 5:18 am | 9h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → S 182°, up to 73° |
| Sun 4 Jul | 7:48 pm – 5:18 am | 9h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → S 177°, up to 73° |
| Mon 5 Jul | 7:49 pm – 5:19 am | 9h 30m | Down (3%) | ESE 117° → S 180°, up to 73° |
| Tue 6 Jul | 7:49 pm – 5:09 am | 9h 20m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 117° → S 183°, up to 73° |
| Wed 7 Jul | 7:49 pm – 5:09 am | 9h 20m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 117° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Thu 8 Jul | 10:49 pm – 4:59 am | 6h 10m | Down (26%) | SSE 154° → S 182°, up to 73° |
| Fri 9 Jul | 11:40 pm – 5:00 am | 5h 20m | Down (37%) | SSW 193°, up to 73° |
| Sat 10 Jul | 12:30 am – 4:50 am | 4h 20m | Down (48%) | SW 222°, up to 67° |
| Sun 11 Jul | 1:30 am – 4:50 am | 3h 20m | Down (59%) | WSW 237°, up to 54° |
| Mon 12 Jul | 2:20 am – 4:50 am | 2h 30m | Down (69%) | WSW 242°, up to 43° |
| Tue 13 Jul | 3:20 am – 4:40 am | 1h 20m | Down (78%) | WSW 244°, up to 29° |
| Thu 22 Jul | 7:52 pm – 9:22 pm | 1h 30m | Down (86%) | ESE 120° → SE 138°, up to 67° |
| Fri 23 Jul | 7:52 pm – 10:12 pm | 2h 20m | Down (78%) | ESE 121° → SSE 168°, up to 73° |
| Sat 24 Jul | 7:52 pm – 11:02 pm | 3h 10m | Down (70%) | ESE 121° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Sun 25 Jul | 7:52 pm – 11:52 pm | 4h 00m | Down (60%) | ESE 122° → S 182°, up to 73° |
| Mon 26 Jul | 7:52 pm – 12:42 am | 4h 50m | Down (49%) | ESE 122° → S 177°, up to 73° |
| Tue 27 Jul | 7:52 pm – 1:32 am | 5h 40m | Down (39%) | ESE 122° → S 180°, up to 73° |
| Wed 28 Jul | 7:53 pm – 2:33 am | 6h 40m | Down (28%) | ESE 123° → S 184°, up to 73° |
| Thu 29 Jul | 7:53 pm – 3:43 am | 7h 50m | Down (18%) | ESE 124° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Fri 30 Jul | 7:53 pm – 3:33 am | 7h 40m | Down (10%) | SE 124° → S 182°, up to 73° |
| Sat 31 Jul | 7:53 pm – 3:33 am | 7h 40m | Down (4%) | SE 125° → S 178°, up to 73° |
| Sun 1 Aug | 7:53 pm – 3:23 am | 7h 30m | Down (1%) | SE 125° → S 181°, up to 73° |
| Mon 2 Aug | 7:53 pm – 3:23 am | 7h 30m | Down (0%) | SE 126° → S 184°, up to 73° |
| Tue 3 Aug | 7:53 pm – 3:23 am | 7h 30m | Down (2%) | SE 127° → S 179°, up to 73° |
| Wed 4 Aug | 7:53 pm – 3:13 am | 7h 20m | Up, 7% lit | SE 128° → S 182°, up to 73° |
| Thu 5 Aug | 7:53 pm – 3:13 am | 7h 20m | Up, 14% lit | SE 129° → S 178°, up to 73° |
| Fri 6 Aug | 7:53 pm – 3:03 am | 7h 10m | Up, 23% lit | SE 129° → S 181°, up to 73° |
| Sat 7 Aug | 11:13 pm – 3:03 am | 3h 50m | Down (33%) | SW 232°, up to 61° |
| Sun 8 Aug | 12:13 am – 3:03 am | 2h 50m | Down (43%) | WSW 240°, up to 47° |
| Mon 9 Aug | 1:13 am – 2:53 am | 1h 40m | Down (54%) | WSW 243°, up to 34° |
| Fri 20 Aug | 7:54 pm – 8:54 pm | 1h 00m | Down (90%) | SSE 150° → S 177°, up to 73° |
| Sat 21 Aug | 7:54 pm – 9:44 pm | 1h 50m | Down (83%) | SSE 152° → S 180°, up to 73° |
| Sun 22 Aug | 7:53 pm – 10:33 pm | 2h 40m | Down (74%) | SSE 154° → S 183°, up to 73° |
| Mon 23 Aug | 7:53 pm – 11:23 pm | 3h 30m | Down (65%) | SSE 157° → S 178°, up to 73° |
| Tue 24 Aug | 7:53 pm – 12:23 am | 4h 30m | Down (54%) | SSE 159° → S 181°, up to 73° |
| Wed 25 Aug | 7:53 pm – 1:23 am | 5h 30m | Down (43%) | SSE 162° → S 177°, up to 73° |
| Thu 26 Aug | 7:53 pm – 1:53 am | 6h 00m | Down (32%) | SSE 165° → S 180°, up to 73° |
| Fri 27 Aug | 7:53 pm – 1:43 am | 5h 50m | Down (21%) | SSE 167° → S 183°, up to 73° |
| Sat 28 Aug | 7:53 pm – 1:43 am | 5h 50m | Down (12%) | S 170° → S 178°, up to 73° |
| Sun 29 Aug | 7:53 pm – 1:33 am | 5h 40m | Down (6%) | S 173° → S 181°, up to 73° |
| Mon 30 Aug | 7:53 pm – 1:33 am | 5h 40m | Down (1%) | S 176°, up to 73° |
| Tue 31 Aug | 7:53 pm – 1:33 am | 5h 40m | Down (0%) | S 179°, up to 73° |
| Wed 1 Sep | 7:53 pm – 1:23 am | 5h 30m | Down (1%) | S 182°, up to 73° |
| Thu 2 Sep | 7:53 pm – 1:23 am | 5h 30m | Up, 5% lit | S 185°, up to 73° |
| Fri 3 Sep | 7:53 pm – 1:13 am | 5h 20m | Up, 11% lit | S 188°, up to 73° |
| Sat 4 Sep | 7:53 pm – 1:13 am | 5h 20m | Up, 19% lit | S 191°, up to 73° |
| Sun 5 Sep | 11:03 pm – 1:13 am | 2h 10m | Down (28%) | WSW 243°, up to 39° |
| Mon 6 Sep | 11:53 pm – 1:03 am | 1h 10m | Down (38%) | WSW 244°, up to 27° |
| Sun 19 Sep | 7:52 pm – 9:12 pm | 1h 20m | Down (87%) | SW 223°, up to 66° |
| Mon 20 Sep | 7:52 pm – 10:12 pm | 2h 20m | Down (79%) | SW 224°, up to 66° |
| Tue 21 Sep | 7:52 pm – 11:12 pm | 3h 20m | Down (69%) | SW 226°, up to 65° |
| Wed 22 Sep | 7:52 pm – 12:02 am | 4h 10m | Down (58%) | SW 227°, up to 64° |
| Thu 23 Sep | 7:52 pm – 12:02 am | 4h 10m | Down (47%) | SW 228°, up to 64° |
| Fri 24 Sep | 7:52 pm – 11:52 pm | 4h 00m | Down (35%) | SW 229°, up to 63° |
| Sat 25 Sep | 7:52 pm – 11:52 pm | 4h 00m | Down (24%) | SW 230°, up to 62° |
| Sun 26 Sep | 7:53 pm – 11:53 pm | 4h 00m | Down (15%) | SW 231°, up to 61° |
| Mon 27 Sep | 7:53 pm – 11:43 pm | 3h 50m | Down (8%) | SW 232°, up to 61° |
| Tue 28 Sep | 7:53 pm – 11:43 pm | 3h 50m | Down (3%) | SW 233°, up to 60° |
| Wed 29 Sep | 7:53 pm – 11:33 pm | 3h 40m | Down (0%) | SW 233°, up to 59° |
| Thu 30 Sep | 7:53 pm – 11:33 pm | 3h 40m | Down (1%) | SW 234°, up to 58° |
| Fri 1 Oct | 7:53 pm – 11:33 pm | 3h 40m | Down (4%) | SW 235°, up to 57° |
| Sat 2 Oct | 7:53 pm – 11:23 pm | 3h 30m | Up, 9% lit | SW 235°, up to 57° |
| Sun 3 Oct | 7:53 pm – 11:23 pm | 3h 30m | Up, 15% lit | SW 236°, up to 56° |
| Mon 4 Oct | 7:53 pm – 11:13 pm | 3h 20m | Up, 23% lit | WSW 237°, up to 55° |
| Mon 18 Oct | 7:55 pm – 9:05 pm | 1h 10m | Down (90%) | WSW 242°, up to 43° |
| Tue 19 Oct | 7:56 pm – 10:06 pm | 2h 10m | Down (83%) | WSW 242°, up to 42° |
| Wed 20 Oct | 7:56 pm – 10:16 pm | 2h 20m | Down (73%) | WSW 242°, up to 41° |
| Thu 21 Oct | 7:56 pm – 10:06 pm | 2h 10m | Down (62%) | WSW 242°, up to 40° |
| Fri 22 Oct | 7:56 pm – 10:06 pm | 2h 10m | Down (51%) | WSW 243°, up to 39° |
| Sat 23 Oct | 7:57 pm – 9:57 pm | 2h 00m | Down (39%) | WSW 243°, up to 38° |
| Sun 24 Oct | 7:57 pm – 9:57 pm | 2h 00m | Down (28%) | WSW 243°, up to 37° |
| Mon 25 Oct | 7:57 pm – 9:57 pm | 2h 00m | Down (18%) | WSW 243°, up to 37° |
| Tue 26 Oct | 7:58 pm – 9:48 pm | 1h 50m | Down (10%) | WSW 243°, up to 36° |
| Wed 27 Oct | 7:58 pm – 9:48 pm | 1h 50m | Down (4%) | WSW 243°, up to 35° |
| Thu 28 Oct | 7:58 pm – 9:38 pm | 1h 40m | Down (1%) | WSW 243°, up to 34° |
| Fri 29 Oct | 7:59 pm – 9:39 pm | 1h 40m | Down (0%) | WSW 243°, up to 33° |
| Sat 30 Oct | 7:59 pm – 9:29 pm | 1h 30m | Down (2%) | WSW 243°, up to 32° |
| Sun 31 Oct | 7:59 pm – 9:29 pm | 1h 30m | Up, 6% lit | WSW 243°, up to 31° |
| Mon 1 Nov | 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm | 1h 30m | Up, 11% lit | WSW 244°, up to 30° |
| Tue 2 Nov | 8:00 pm – 9:20 pm | 1h 20m | Up, 18% lit | WSW 244°, up to 29° |
Across Northern Territory
The calendar above is worked out for Darwin. The moon sets the season's first and last nights, so they barely move across NT. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darwin | 121 | 50 | 9h 50m | June | 73° |
| Alice Springs | 124 | 49 | 10h 30m | June | 85° |
| Yulara (Uluru) | 125 | 50 | 10h 40m | June | 86° |
Dark-sky sites in Northern Territory
Darwin'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.
- Litchfield National Park, 80 km from Darwin. Waterfalls and termite mounds, about 90 minutes from Darwin.
- Ubirr, Kakadu National Park, 230 km from Darwin. A rock-art lookout over the floodplain.
- Ormiston Gorge, West MacDonnell Ranges, 1,257 km from Darwin. A desert gorge west of Alice Springs.
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, 1,432 km from Darwin (Bortle 4). The red centre, hundreds of kilometres from any city.
Questions
When is the best time to see the Milky Way in Northern Territory in 2027?
June and July. In June, 20 nights from Darwin have a dark core window of 3 hours or more, and the typical window is 5h 55m. Plan around the new moon: the nights either side of full moon drop out.
How high does the Milky Way core get in Northern Territory?
From Darwin it climbs to 73° above the southern horizon. In Yulara (Uluru) it reaches 86°. The higher the core, the less haze and light glow it shines through.
When does the Milky Way season start and end in Northern Territory?
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 7:20 pm to 6:30 am Darwin time. The dark part of that is the window shown for each night above.