Milky Way Calendar Queensland 2026
From Brisbane, the core is up after dark from 28 January to 8 November 2026. Best months: June and July. It climbs to 88° above the southern horizon.
In Cairns the core peaks at 78°, 10° lower than in Brisbane, with 123 great nights to Brisbane's 128 across QLD.
Next good night from Brisbane: Thursday 5 November, 7:33 pm – 8:43 pm (1h 10m).
Times are Brisbane local time (AEST). 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 Brisbane
| Month | Core up (15th) | Typical dark window | Great nights | Good nights | Best dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | 1h 00m | 0 | 0 | 28 Jan, 29 Jan |
| February | 1:40 am – 2:00 pm | 2h 40m | 4 | 12 | 24 Feb, 25 Feb, 26 Feb |
| March | 11:50 pm – 12:10 pm | 4h 50m | 14 | 2 | 22 Mar, 24 Mar, 25 Mar |
| April | 9:50 pm – 10:10 am | 6h 40m | 15 | 2 | 17 Apr, 20 Apr, 21 Apr |
| May | 7:50 pm – 8:10 am | 6h 50m | 17 | 3 | 18 May, 19 May, 20 May |
| June | 5:50 pm – 6:10 am | 6h 30m | 18 | 4 | 11 Jun, 12 Jun, 13 Jun |
| July | 3:50 pm – 4:10 am | 6h 20m | 17 | 3 | 10 Jul, 11 Jul, 12 Jul |
| August | 1:50 pm – 2:10 am | 6h 45m | 15 | 4 | 8 Aug, 9 Aug, 10 Aug |
| September | 11:50 am – 12:10 am | 5h 20m | 14 | 2 | 4 Sep, 5 Sep, 6 Sep |
| October | 9:50 am – 10:10 pm | 3h 15m | 14 | 4 | 2 Oct, 3 Oct, 4 Oct |
| November | 7:50 am – 8:10 pm | 1h 15m | 0 | 2 | 1 Nov, 2 Nov, 3 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 Brisbane
January 2026
February 2026
March 2026
April 2026
May 2026
June 2026
July 2026
August 2026
September 2026
October 2026
November 2026
December 2026
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 28 Jan | 2:50 am – 3:50 am | 1h 00m | Down (78%) | ESE 117° → ESE 112°, up to 23° |
| Thu 29 Jan | 2:50 am – 3:50 am | 1h 00m | Down (87%) | ESE 117° → ESE 112°, up to 24° |
| Thu 12 Feb | 1:48 am – 3:58 am | 2h 10m | Up, 23% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 107°, up to 37° |
| Fri 13 Feb | 1:47 am – 4:07 am | 2h 20m | Up, 15% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 106°, up to 40° |
| Sat 14 Feb | 1:46 am – 4:06 am | 2h 20m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 106°, up to 40° |
| Sun 15 Feb | 1:45 am – 4:05 am | 2h 20m | Up, 4% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 106°, up to 41° |
| Mon 16 Feb | 1:34 am – 4:04 am | 2h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → ESE 106°, up to 41° |
| Tue 17 Feb | 1:33 am – 4:03 am | 2h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → ESE 105°, up to 42° |
| Wed 18 Feb | 1:32 am – 4:12 am | 2h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → ESE 105°, up to 45° |
| Thu 19 Feb | 1:21 am – 4:11 am | 2h 50m | Down (5%) | ESE 118° → ESE 105°, up to 45° |
| Fri 20 Feb | 1:20 am – 4:10 am | 2h 50m | Down (11%) | ESE 117° → ESE 104°, up to 46° |
| Sat 21 Feb | 1:18 am – 4:08 am | 2h 50m | Down (19%) | ESE 117° → ESE 104°, up to 47° |
| Sun 22 Feb | 1:17 am – 4:07 am | 2h 50m | Down (29%) | ESE 117° → ESE 104°, up to 47° |
| Mon 23 Feb | 1:06 am – 4:06 am | 3h 00m | Down (40%) | ESE 117° → ESE 104°, up to 48° |
| Tue 24 Feb | 1:05 am – 4:15 am | 3h 10m | Down (52%) | ESE 117° → ESE 103°, up to 51° |
| Wed 25 Feb | 1:04 am – 4:14 am | 3h 10m | Down (63%) | ESE 117° → ESE 103°, up to 51° |
| Thu 26 Feb | 12:53 am – 4:13 am | 3h 20m | Down (74%) | ESE 118° → ESE 103°, up to 52° |
| Fri 27 Feb | 2:02 am – 4:12 am | 2h 10m | Down (84%) | ESE 111° → ESE 103°, up to 53° |
| Sat 28 Feb | 3:11 am – 4:11 am | 1h 00m | Down (91%) | ESE 106° → ESE 103°, up to 53° |
| Sat 14 Mar | 11:54 pm – 4:24 am | 4h 30m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 68° |
| Sun 15 Mar | 11:53 pm – 4:23 am | 4h 30m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 69° |
| Mon 16 Mar | 11:42 pm – 4:22 am | 4h 40m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 118° → E 100°, up to 69° |
| Tue 17 Mar | 11:41 pm – 4:31 am | 4h 50m | Down (3%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 72° |
| Wed 18 Mar | 11:39 pm – 4:29 am | 4h 50m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 73° |
| Thu 19 Mar | 11:38 pm – 4:28 am | 4h 50m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 73° |
| Fri 20 Mar | 11:27 pm – 4:27 am | 5h 00m | Down (3%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 74° |
| Sat 21 Mar | 11:26 pm – 4:26 am | 5h 00m | Down (8%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 75° |
| Sun 22 Mar | 11:25 pm – 4:35 am | 5h 10m | Down (15%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 77° |
| Mon 23 Mar | 11:23 pm – 4:33 am | 5h 10m | Down (25%) | ESE 117° → E 101°, up to 78° |
| Tue 24 Mar | 11:12 pm – 4:32 am | 5h 20m | Down (36%) | ESE 117° → E 101°, up to 79° |
| Wed 25 Mar | 11:11 pm – 4:31 am | 5h 20m | Down (47%) | ESE 117° → E 101°, up to 79° |
| Thu 26 Mar | 11:40 pm – 4:30 am | 4h 50m | Down (59%) | ESE 114° → ESE 101°, up to 80° |
| Fri 27 Mar | 12:59 am – 4:29 am | 3h 30m | Down (70%) | ESE 108° → ESE 102°, up to 80° |
| Sat 28 Mar | 1:58 am – 4:38 am | 2h 40m | Down (80%) | ESE 104° → ESE 105°, up to 83° |
| Sun 29 Mar | 3:07 am – 4:37 am | 1h 30m | Down (88%) | E 100° → ESE 106°, up to 84° |
| Fri 10 Apr | 10:04 pm – 11:24 pm | 1h 20m | Down (46%) | ESE 118° → ESE 111°, up to 26° |
| Sat 11 Apr | 10:03 pm – 12:23 am | 2h 20m | Down (36%) | ESE 117° → ESE 106°, up to 40° |
| Sun 12 Apr | 10:02 pm – 1:22 am | 3h 20m | Down (27%) | ESE 117° → ESE 103°, up to 53° |
| Mon 13 Apr | 10:01 pm – 4:41 am | 6h 40m | Up, 18% lit | ESE 117° → SSE 147°, up to 88° |
| Tue 14 Apr | 9:50 pm – 4:40 am | 6h 50m | Up, 10% lit | ESE 117° → SSE 168°, up to 88° |
| Wed 15 Apr | 9:49 pm – 4:39 am | 6h 50m | Up, 5% lit | ESE 117° → SSW 192°, up to 88° |
| Thu 16 Apr | 9:48 pm – 4:38 am | 6h 50m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → SSW 212°, up to 88° |
| Fri 17 Apr | 9:37 pm – 4:47 am | 7h 10m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → SSE 160°, up to 88° |
| Sat 18 Apr | 9:36 pm – 4:46 am | 7h 10m | Down (2%) | ESE 117° → S 184°, up to 88° |
| Sun 19 Apr | 9:35 pm – 4:45 am | 7h 10m | Down (6%) | ESE 117° → SSW 206°, up to 88° |
| Mon 20 Apr | 9:24 pm – 4:44 am | 7h 20m | Down (13%) | ESE 118° → SSE 154°, up to 88° |
| Tue 21 Apr | 9:23 pm – 4:43 am | 7h 20m | Down (22%) | ESE 117° → S 177°, up to 88° |
| Wed 22 Apr | 9:33 pm – 4:43 am | 7h 10m | Down (32%) | ESE 116° → SSW 201°, up to 88° |
| Thu 23 Apr | 10:42 pm – 4:42 am | 6h 00m | Down (43%) | ESE 110° → SSE 149°, up to 88° |
| Fri 24 Apr | 11:51 pm – 4:41 am | 4h 50m | Down (55%) | ESE 105° → S 171°, up to 88° |
| Sat 25 Apr | 12:50 am – 4:50 am | 4h 00m | Down (66%) | ESE 102° → SSW 196°, up to 88° |
| Sun 26 Apr | 1:49 am – 4:49 am | 3h 00m | Down (76%) | E 100° → SE 145°, up to 88° |
| Mon 27 Apr | 2:49 am – 4:49 am | 2h 00m | Down (84%) | ESE 109° → SSE 166°, up to 88° |
| Tue 28 Apr | 3:48 am – 4:48 am | 1h 00m | Down (91%) | WSW 258°, up to 81° |
| Fri 8 May | 8:21 pm – 10:11 pm | 1h 50m | Down (62%) | ESE 117° → ESE 108°, up to 34° |
| Sat 9 May | 8:11 pm – 11:11 pm | 3h 00m | Down (52%) | ESE 117° → ESE 104°, up to 48° |
| Sun 10 May | 8:10 pm – 12:10 am | 4h 00m | Down (42%) | ESE 117° → E 101°, up to 62° |
| Mon 11 May | 8:10 pm – 1:10 am | 5h 00m | Down (32%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 75° |
| Tue 12 May | 7:59 pm – 4:49 am | 8h 50m | Up, 22% lit | ESE 117° → SSE 163°, up to 88° |
| Wed 13 May | 7:59 pm – 4:59 am | 9h 00m | Up, 14% lit | ESE 117° → S 191°, up to 88° |
| Thu 14 May | 7:58 pm – 4:58 am | 9h 00m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 117° → SW 214°, up to 88° |
| Fri 15 May | 7:48 pm – 4:58 am | 9h 10m | Down (2%) | ESE 117° → SSE 166°, up to 88° |
| Sat 16 May | 7:47 pm – 4:57 am | 9h 10m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → SSW 194°, up to 88° |
| Sun 17 May | 7:47 pm – 4:57 am | 9h 10m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → SSE 146°, up to 88° |
| Mon 18 May | 7:37 pm – 4:57 am | 9h 20m | Down (4%) | ESE 117° → S 171°, up to 88° |
| Tue 19 May | 7:36 pm – 4:56 am | 9h 20m | Down (11%) | ESE 117° → SSW 199°, up to 88° |
| Wed 20 May | 7:36 pm – 4:56 am | 9h 20m | Up, 19% lit | ESE 117° → SSE 151°, up to 88° |
| Thu 21 May | 9:36 pm – 4:56 am | 7h 20m | Down (29%) | ESE 107° → S 177°, up to 88° |
| Fri 22 May | 10:35 pm – 4:55 am | 6h 20m | Down (39%) | ESE 103° → SSW 205°, up to 88° |
| Sat 23 May | 11:45 pm – 4:55 am | 5h 10m | Down (51%) | E 100° → SSE 156°, up to 88° |
| Sun 24 May | 12:45 am – 4:55 am | 4h 10m | Down (61%) | ESE 102° → S 185°, up to 88° |
| Mon 25 May | 1:44 am – 5:04 am | 3h 20m | Down (71%) | WSW 253°, up to 84° |
| Tue 26 May | 2:34 am – 5:04 am | 2h 30m | Down (80%) | W 260°, up to 73° |
| Wed 27 May | 3:34 am – 5:04 am | 1h 30m | Down (88%) | WSW 259°, up to 59° |
| Thu 4 Jun | 6:33 pm – 8:03 pm | 1h 30m | Down (84%) | ESE 117° → ESE 109°, up to 30° |
| Fri 5 Jun | 6:33 pm – 9:03 pm | 2h 30m | Down (77%) | ESE 117° → ESE 105°, up to 43° |
| Sat 6 Jun | 6:23 pm – 10:03 pm | 3h 40m | Down (68%) | ESE 117° → ESE 102°, up to 57° |
| Sun 7 Jun | 6:23 pm – 11:03 pm | 4h 40m | Down (57%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 71° |
| Mon 8 Jun | 6:23 pm – 11:53 pm | 5h 30m | Down (47%) | ESE 116° → ESE 104°, up to 83° |
| Tue 9 Jun | 6:23 pm – 12:53 am | 6h 30m | Down (36%) | ESE 116° → SSW 195°, up to 88° |
| Wed 10 Jun | 6:23 pm – 2:03 am | 7h 40m | Down (26%) | ESE 116° → SSE 150°, up to 88° |
| Thu 11 Jun | 6:23 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 40m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 115° → S 179°, up to 88° |
| Fri 12 Jun | 6:23 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 40m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 115° → SSW 209°, up to 88° |
| Sat 13 Jun | 6:23 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 40m | Down (3%) | ESE 115° → SSE 163°, up to 88° |
| Sun 14 Jun | 6:23 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 114° → SSW 196°, up to 88° |
| Mon 15 Jun | 6:24 pm – 5:04 am | 10h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 114° → SSE 150°, up to 88° |
| Tue 16 Jun | 6:24 pm – 5:04 am | 10h 40m | Down (3%) | ESE 114° → S 181°, up to 88° |
| Wed 17 Jun | 6:24 pm – 5:04 am | 10h 40m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 113° → SSW 211°, up to 88° |
| Thu 18 Jun | 6:24 pm – 5:04 am | 10h 40m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 113° → SSE 166°, up to 88° |
| Fri 19 Jun | 9:24 pm – 5:04 am | 7h 40m | Down (25%) | E 101° → SSW 199°, up to 88° |
| Sat 20 Jun | 10:34 pm – 5:04 am | 6h 30m | Down (35%) | E 100° → SSE 154°, up to 88° |
| Sun 21 Jun | 11:35 pm – 5:05 am | 5h 30m | Down (46%) | S 185°, up to 88° |
| Mon 22 Jun | 12:25 am – 5:05 am | 4h 40m | Down (57%) | W 260°, up to 78° |
| Tue 23 Jun | 1:25 am – 5:05 am | 3h 40m | Down (66%) | W 260°, up to 64° |
| Wed 24 Jun | 2:15 am – 5:05 am | 2h 50m | Down (75%) | WSW 257°, up to 52° |
| Thu 25 Jun | 3:16 am – 5:06 am | 1h 50m | Down (83%) | WSW 253°, up to 38° |
| Fri 3 Jul | 6:28 pm – 7:48 pm | 1h 20m | Down (88%) | ESE 108° → ESE 103°, up to 51° |
| Sat 4 Jul | 6:28 pm – 8:48 pm | 2h 20m | Down (81%) | ESE 108° → E 100°, up to 65° |
| Sun 5 Jul | 6:29 pm – 9:49 pm | 3h 20m | Down (72%) | ESE 108° → E 101°, up to 79° |
| Mon 6 Jul | 6:29 pm – 10:49 pm | 4h 20m | Down (62%) | ESE 107° → SSW 210°, up to 88° |
| Tue 7 Jul | 6:29 pm – 11:49 pm | 5h 20m | Down (51%) | ESE 107° → SSE 166°, up to 88° |
| Wed 8 Jul | 6:30 pm – 12:50 am | 6h 20m | Down (40%) | ESE 107° → SSW 200°, up to 88° |
| Thu 9 Jul | 6:30 pm – 2:00 am | 7h 30m | Down (29%) | ESE 106° → SSE 156°, up to 88° |
| Fri 10 Jul | 6:30 pm – 4:30 am | 10h 00m | Up, 19% lit | ESE 106° → S 190°, up to 88° |
| Sat 11 Jul | 6:31 pm – 4:21 am | 9h 50m | Up, 11% lit | ESE 106° → SSE 147°, up to 88° |
| Sun 12 Jul | 6:31 pm – 4:21 am | 9h 50m | Down (5%) | ESE 106° → S 178°, up to 88° |
| Mon 13 Jul | 6:32 pm – 4:12 am | 9h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 105° → SSW 210°, up to 88° |
| Tue 14 Jul | 6:32 pm – 4:12 am | 9h 40m | Down (0%) | ESE 105° → SSE 167°, up to 88° |
| Wed 15 Jul | 6:32 pm – 4:12 am | 9h 40m | Down (2%) | ESE 105° → SSW 201°, up to 88° |
| Thu 16 Jul | 6:33 pm – 4:03 am | 9h 30m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 105° → SSE 157°, up to 88° |
| Fri 17 Jul | 6:33 pm – 4:03 am | 9h 30m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 104° → SSW 191°, up to 88° |
| Sat 18 Jul | 6:34 pm – 3:54 am | 9h 20m | Up, 22% lit | ESE 104° → SSE 149°, up to 88° |
| Sun 19 Jul | 10:14 pm – 3:54 am | 5h 40m | Down (31%) | WSW 255°, up to 83° |
| Mon 20 Jul | 11:14 pm – 3:44 am | 4h 30m | Down (41%) | W 260°, up to 69° |
| Tue 21 Jul | 12:15 am – 3:45 am | 3h 30m | Down (51%) | WSW 258°, up to 55° |
| Wed 22 Jul | 1:05 am – 3:45 am | 2h 40m | Down (61%) | WSW 255°, up to 43° |
| Thu 23 Jul | 2:06 am – 3:36 am | 1h 30m | Down (70%) | WSW 251°, up to 30° |
| Sat 1 Aug | 6:39 pm – 7:39 pm | 1h 00m | Down (92%) | E 101° → E 100°, up to 74° |
| Sun 2 Aug | 6:40 pm – 8:30 pm | 1h 50m | Down (85%) | E 101° → ESE 111°, up to 85° |
| Mon 3 Aug | 6:40 pm – 9:30 pm | 2h 50m | Down (76%) | E 101° → SE 145°, up to 88° |
| Tue 4 Aug | 6:40 pm – 10:30 pm | 3h 50m | Down (66%) | E 101° → S 176°, up to 88° |
| Wed 5 Aug | 6:41 pm – 11:41 pm | 5h 00m | Down (55%) | E 100° → SSW 209°, up to 88° |
| Thu 6 Aug | 6:41 pm – 12:51 am | 6h 10m | Down (43%) | E 100° → SSE 165°, up to 88° |
| Fri 7 Aug | 6:42 pm – 2:02 am | 7h 20m | Down (32%) | E 100° → SSW 199°, up to 88° |
| Sat 8 Aug | 6:42 pm – 2:32 am | 7h 50m | Down (21%) | E 100° → SSE 156°, up to 88° |
| Sun 9 Aug | 6:42 pm – 2:32 am | 7h 50m | Down (13%) | E 100° → S 189°, up to 88° |
| Mon 10 Aug | 6:43 pm – 2:23 am | 7h 40m | Down (6%) | E 100° → SSE 147°, up to 88° |
| Tue 11 Aug | 6:43 pm – 2:23 am | 7h 40m | Down (2%) | E 100° → S 178°, up to 88° |
| Wed 12 Aug | 6:44 pm – 2:14 am | 7h 30m | Down (0%) | E 100° → SSW 211°, up to 88° |
| Thu 13 Aug | 6:44 pm – 2:14 am | 7h 30m | Down (1%) | E 100° → SSE 168°, up to 88° |
| Fri 14 Aug | 6:44 pm – 2:14 am | 7h 30m | Up, 5% lit | E 100° → SSW 202°, up to 88° |
| Sat 15 Aug | 6:45 pm – 2:05 am | 7h 20m | Up, 10% lit | E 100° → SSE 158°, up to 88° |
| Sun 16 Aug | 6:45 pm – 2:05 am | 7h 20m | Up, 18% lit | E 100° → SSW 192°, up to 88° |
| Mon 17 Aug | 10:06 pm – 1:56 am | 3h 50m | Down (26%) | W 259°, up to 60° |
| Tue 18 Aug | 10:56 pm – 1:56 am | 3h 00m | Down (35%) | WSW 256°, up to 48° |
| Wed 19 Aug | 11:56 pm – 1:46 am | 1h 50m | Down (45%) | WSW 252°, up to 35° |
| Mon 31 Aug | 6:51 pm – 8:21 pm | 1h 30m | Down (88%) | SSE 153°, up to 88° |
| Tue 1 Sep | 6:52 pm – 9:22 pm | 2h 30m | Down (79%) | S 186°, up to 88° |
| Wed 2 Sep | 6:52 pm – 10:32 pm | 3h 40m | Down (70%) | SW 216°, up to 88° |
| Thu 3 Sep | 6:52 pm – 11:42 pm | 4h 50m | Down (58%) | SW 233°, up to 87° |
| Fri 4 Sep | 6:53 pm – 12:53 am | 6h 00m | Down (47%) | WSW 242°, up to 87° |
| Sat 5 Sep | 6:53 pm – 12:43 am | 5h 50m | Down (35%) | WSW 248°, up to 86° |
| Sun 6 Sep | 6:54 pm – 12:44 am | 5h 50m | Down (24%) | WSW 251°, up to 85° |
| Mon 7 Sep | 6:54 pm – 12:34 am | 5h 40m | Down (15%) | WSW 254°, up to 84° |
| Tue 8 Sep | 6:55 pm – 12:35 am | 5h 40m | Down (8%) | WSW 256°, up to 83° |
| Wed 9 Sep | 6:55 pm – 12:25 am | 5h 30m | Down (3%) | WSW 257°, up to 82° |
| Thu 10 Sep | 6:55 pm – 12:25 am | 5h 30m | Down (0%) | WSW 258°, up to 81° |
| Fri 11 Sep | 6:56 pm – 12:16 am | 5h 20m | Down (0%) | WSW 258°, up to 80° |
| Sat 12 Sep | 6:56 pm – 12:16 am | 5h 20m | Down (3%) | W 259°, up to 79° |
| Sun 13 Sep | 6:57 pm – 12:17 am | 5h 20m | Up, 7% lit | W 259°, up to 78° |
| Mon 14 Sep | 6:57 pm – 12:07 am | 5h 10m | Up, 14% lit | W 260°, up to 77° |
| Tue 15 Sep | 6:58 pm – 12:08 am | 5h 10m | Up, 21% lit | W 260°, up to 76° |
| Wed 16 Sep | 10:48 pm – 11:58 pm | 1h 10m | Down (29%) | WSW 249°, up to 26° |
| Tue 29 Sep | 7:05 pm – 8:15 pm | 1h 10m | Down (90%) | W 259°, up to 63° |
| Wed 30 Sep | 7:05 pm – 9:25 pm | 2h 20m | Down (83%) | W 259°, up to 62° |
| Thu 1 Oct | 7:06 pm – 10:36 pm | 3h 30m | Down (73%) | W 259°, up to 61° |
| Fri 2 Oct | 7:06 pm – 10:56 pm | 3h 50m | Down (62%) | W 259°, up to 60° |
| Sat 3 Oct | 7:07 pm – 10:57 pm | 3h 50m | Down (50%) | WSW 259°, up to 59° |
| Sun 4 Oct | 7:08 pm – 10:48 pm | 3h 40m | Down (39%) | WSW 258°, up to 58° |
| Mon 5 Oct | 7:08 pm – 10:48 pm | 3h 40m | Down (28%) | WSW 258°, up to 57° |
| Tue 6 Oct | 7:09 pm – 10:39 pm | 3h 30m | Down (18%) | WSW 258°, up to 56° |
| Wed 7 Oct | 7:10 pm – 10:40 pm | 3h 30m | Down (10%) | WSW 258°, up to 55° |
| Thu 8 Oct | 7:10 pm – 10:30 pm | 3h 20m | Down (4%) | WSW 258°, up to 54° |
| Fri 9 Oct | 7:11 pm – 10:31 pm | 3h 20m | Down (1%) | WSW 257°, up to 53° |
| Sat 10 Oct | 7:12 pm – 10:22 pm | 3h 10m | Down (0%) | WSW 257°, up to 52° |
| Sun 11 Oct | 7:12 pm – 10:22 pm | 3h 10m | Down (1%) | WSW 257°, up to 51° |
| Mon 12 Oct | 7:13 pm – 10:23 pm | 3h 10m | Up, 4% lit | WSW 257°, up to 50° |
| Tue 13 Oct | 7:14 pm – 10:14 pm | 3h 00m | Up, 9% lit | WSW 256°, up to 49° |
| Wed 14 Oct | 7:14 pm – 10:14 pm | 3h 00m | Up, 16% lit | WSW 256°, up to 48° |
| Thu 15 Oct | 7:15 pm – 10:05 pm | 2h 50m | Up, 23% lit | WSW 256°, up to 47° |
| Thu 29 Oct | 7:26 pm – 9:16 pm | 1h 50m | Down (86%) | WSW 252°, up to 33° |
| Fri 30 Oct | 7:27 pm – 9:07 pm | 1h 40m | Down (77%) | WSW 251°, up to 32° |
| Sat 31 Oct | 7:28 pm – 9:08 pm | 1h 40m | Down (66%) | WSW 251°, up to 31° |
| Sun 1 Nov | 7:29 pm – 8:59 pm | 1h 30m | Down (54%) | WSW 251°, up to 30° |
| Mon 2 Nov | 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm | 1h 30m | Down (43%) | WSW 250°, up to 29° |
| Tue 3 Nov | 7:31 pm – 8:51 pm | 1h 20m | Down (32%) | WSW 250°, up to 27° |
| Wed 4 Nov | 7:32 pm – 8:52 pm | 1h 20m | Down (22%) | WSW 249°, up to 26° |
| Thu 5 Nov | 7:33 pm – 8:43 pm | 1h 10m | Down (13%) | WSW 249°, up to 25° |
| Fri 6 Nov | 7:34 pm – 8:44 pm | 1h 10m | Down (7%) | WSW 249°, up to 24° |
| Sat 7 Nov | 7:35 pm – 8:35 pm | 1h 00m | Down (3%) | WSW 248°, up to 23° |
| Sun 8 Nov | 7:36 pm – 8:36 pm | 1h 00m | Down (1%) | WSW 248°, up to 22° |
Across Queensland
The calendar above is worked out for Brisbane. The moon sets the season's first and last nights, so they barely move across QLD. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | 128 | 38 | 10h 40m | June | 88° |
| Longreach | 128 | 37 | 10h 30m | June | 84° |
| Cairns | 123 | 40 | 10h 10m | June | 78° |
Dark-sky sites in Queensland
Brisbane'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.
- Girraween National Park, 184 km from Brisbane. Granite boulders on the Granite Belt, about three hours from Brisbane.
- Carnarvon Gorge, 548 km from Brisbane. A sandstone gorge in the central highlands, far from any town.
- Winton, 1,154 km from Brisbane (Bortle 5). Outback plains, dark to every horizon.
- K'gari (Fraser Island), 248 km from Brisbane. A sand island with an unlit ocean beach along its eastern side.
Questions
When is the best time to see the Milky Way in Queensland in 2026?
June and July. In June, 18 nights from Brisbane have a dark core window of 3 hours or more, and the typical window is 6h 30m. Plan around the new moon: the nights either side of full moon drop out.
How high does the Milky Way core get in Queensland?
From Brisbane it climbs to 88° above the southern horizon. In Cairns it reaches 78°. The higher the core, the less haze and light glow it shines through.
When does the Milky Way season start and end in Queensland?
In 2026 the first night with the core up in a dark sky is 28 January, and the last is 8 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 5:50 pm to 6:10 am Brisbane time. The dark part of that is the window shown for each night above.