Milky Way Calendar Queensland 2027
From Brisbane, the core is up after dark from 1 February to 2 November 2027. 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 125 across QLD.
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 | Core not up after dark | ||||
| February | 1:40 am – 2:00 pm | 1h 50m | 0 | 15 | 13 Feb, 14 Feb, 16 Feb |
| March | 11:50 pm – 12:10 pm | 4h 00m | 15 | 2 | 13 Mar, 14 Mar, 15 Mar |
| April | 9:50 pm – 10:10 am | 5h 50m | 16 | 4 | 10 Apr, 11 Apr, 12 Apr |
| May | 7:50 pm – 8:10 am | 6h 30m | 19 | 4 | 9 May, 10 May, 31 May |
| June | 5:50 pm – 6:10 am | 6h 30m | 20 | 2 | 6 Jun, 7 Jun, 8 Jun |
| July | 3:50 pm – 4:10 am | 7h 00m | 19 | 4 | 1 Jul, 2 Jul, 3 Jul |
| August | 1:50 pm – 2:10 am | 6h 20m | 18 | 2 | 1 Aug, 2 Aug, 3 Aug |
| September | 11:50 am – 12:10 am | 4h 15m | 14 | 3 | 1 Sep, 2 Sep, 3 Sep |
| October | 9:50 am – 10:10 pm | 2h 15m | 4 | 13 | 1 Oct, 2 Oct, 3 Oct |
| November | 7:50 am – 8:10 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 Brisbane
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 | 2:38 am – 3:48 am | 1h 10m | Up, 22% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 111°, up to 25° |
| Tue 2 Feb | 2:37 am – 3:47 am | 1h 10m | Up, 14% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 111°, up to 26° |
| Wed 3 Feb | 2:26 am – 3:56 am | 1h 30m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 110°, up to 29° |
| Thu 4 Feb | 2:25 am – 3:55 am | 1h 30m | Up, 4% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 110°, up to 29° |
| Fri 5 Feb | 2:24 am – 3:54 am | 1h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → ESE 109°, up to 30° |
| Sat 6 Feb | 2:14 am – 3:54 am | 1h 40m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → ESE 109°, up to 31° |
| Sun 7 Feb | 2:13 am – 3:53 am | 1h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → ESE 109°, up to 31° |
| Mon 8 Feb | 2:12 am – 4:02 am | 1h 50m | Down (3%) | ESE 117° → ESE 108°, up to 34° |
| Tue 9 Feb | 2:01 am – 4:01 am | 2h 00m | Down (8%) | ESE 118° → ESE 108°, up to 35° |
| Wed 10 Feb | 2:00 am – 4:00 am | 2h 00m | Down (15%) | ESE 117° → ESE 108°, up to 35° |
| Thu 11 Feb | 1:59 am – 3:59 am | 2h 00m | Down (23%) | ESE 117° → ESE 107°, up to 36° |
| Fri 12 Feb | 1:58 am – 3:58 am | 2h 00m | Down (33%) | ESE 117° → ESE 107°, up to 37° |
| Sat 13 Feb | 1:47 am – 4:07 am | 2h 20m | Down (43%) | ESE 117° → ESE 106°, up to 39° |
| Sun 14 Feb | 1:46 am – 4:06 am | 2h 20m | Down (55%) | ESE 117° → ESE 106°, up to 40° |
| Mon 15 Feb | 1:45 am – 4:05 am | 2h 20m | Down (66%) | ESE 117° → ESE 106°, up to 41° |
| Tue 16 Feb | 1:34 am – 4:04 am | 2h 30m | Down (77%) | ESE 117° → ESE 106°, up to 41° |
| Wed 17 Feb | 2:13 am – 4:03 am | 1h 50m | Down (86%) | ESE 114° → ESE 106°, up to 42° |
| Wed 3 Mar | 12:37 am – 4:17 am | 3h 40m | Up, 20% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 102°, up to 57° |
| Thu 4 Mar | 12:36 am – 4:16 am | 3h 40m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 102°, up to 58° |
| Fri 5 Mar | 12:35 am – 4:15 am | 3h 40m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 101°, up to 58° |
| Sat 6 Mar | 12:24 am – 4:24 am | 4h 00m | Up, 3% lit | ESE 117° → E 101°, up to 61° |
| Sun 7 Mar | 12:23 am – 4:23 am | 4h 00m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → E 101°, up to 62° |
| Mon 8 Mar | 12:21 am – 4:21 am | 4h 00m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → E 101°, up to 62° |
| Tue 9 Mar | 12:10 am – 4:20 am | 4h 10m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → E 101°, up to 63° |
| Wed 10 Mar | 12:09 am – 4:19 am | 4h 10m | Down (5%) | ESE 117° → E 101°, up to 63° |
| Thu 11 Mar | 12:08 am – 4:18 am | 4h 10m | Down (11%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 64° |
| Fri 12 Mar | 12:07 am – 4:27 am | 4h 20m | Down (18%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 67° |
| Sat 13 Mar | 11:56 pm – 4:26 am | 4h 30m | Down (28%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 67° |
| Sun 14 Mar | 11:54 pm – 4:24 am | 4h 30m | Down (39%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 68° |
| Mon 15 Mar | 11:53 pm – 4:23 am | 4h 30m | Down (50%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 69° |
| Tue 16 Mar | 11:52 pm – 4:22 am | 4h 30m | Down (62%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 69° |
| Wed 17 Mar | 1:11 am – 4:31 am | 3h 20m | Down (73%) | ESE 110° → E 100°, up to 72° |
| Thu 18 Mar | 2:20 am – 4:30 am | 2h 10m | Down (83%) | ESE 105° → E 100°, up to 73° |
| Fri 19 Mar | 3:18 am – 4:28 am | 1h 10m | Down (91%) | ESE 102° → E 100°, up to 73° |
| Wed 31 Mar | 10:45 pm – 12:15 am | 1h 30m | Down (36%) | ESE 118° → ESE 110°, up to 29° |
| Thu 1 Apr | 10:44 pm – 1:14 am | 2h 30m | Down (27%) | ESE 117° → ESE 106°, up to 42° |
| Fri 2 Apr | 10:42 pm – 4:32 am | 5h 50m | Up, 19% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 113°, up to 86° |
| Sat 3 Apr | 10:41 pm – 4:31 am | 5h 50m | Up, 12% lit | ESE 117°, up to 87° |
| Sun 4 Apr | 10:30 pm – 4:40 am | 6h 10m | Up, 6% lit | ESE 117° → S 169°, up to 88° |
| Mon 5 Apr | 10:29 pm – 4:39 am | 6h 10m | Down (2%) | ESE 117° → SSW 192°, up to 88° |
| Tue 6 Apr | 10:28 pm – 4:38 am | 6h 10m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → SSW 212°, up to 88° |
| Wed 7 Apr | 10:17 pm – 4:37 am | 6h 20m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → SSE 159°, up to 88° |
| Thu 8 Apr | 10:16 pm – 4:36 am | 6h 20m | Down (3%) | ESE 117° → S 181°, up to 88° |
| Fri 9 Apr | 10:15 pm – 4:35 am | 6h 20m | Down (8%) | ESE 117° → SSW 203°, up to 88° |
| Sat 10 Apr | 10:14 pm – 4:44 am | 6h 30m | Down (15%) | ESE 117° → SSE 150°, up to 88° |
| Sun 11 Apr | 10:03 pm – 4:43 am | 6h 40m | Down (24%) | ESE 117° → S 171°, up to 88° |
| Mon 12 Apr | 10:02 pm – 4:42 am | 6h 40m | Down (35%) | ESE 117° → SSW 195°, up to 88° |
| Tue 13 Apr | 10:51 pm – 4:41 am | 5h 50m | Down (46%) | ESE 112° → SW 214°, up to 88° |
| Wed 14 Apr | 12:00 am – 4:40 am | 4h 40m | Down (58%) | ESE 107° → SSE 162°, up to 88° |
| Thu 15 Apr | 1:09 am – 4:39 am | 3h 30m | Down (69%) | ESE 103° → S 186°, up to 88° |
| Fri 16 Apr | 2:18 am – 4:38 am | 2h 20m | Down (80%) | E 100° → SSW 208°, up to 88° |
| Sat 17 Apr | 3:17 am – 4:47 am | 1h 30m | Down (88%) | ESE 104° → SSE 155°, up to 88° |
| Tue 27 Apr | 8:59 pm – 10:09 pm | 1h 10m | Down (61%) | ESE 117° → ESE 111°, up to 24° |
| Wed 28 Apr | 8:58 pm – 11:08 pm | 2h 10m | Down (52%) | ESE 117° → ESE 107°, up to 38° |
| Thu 29 Apr | 8:57 pm – 11:57 pm | 3h 00m | Down (43%) | ESE 117° → ESE 104°, up to 49° |
| Fri 30 Apr | 8:46 pm – 12:56 am | 4h 10m | Down (33%) | ESE 118° → E 101°, up to 63° |
| Sat 1 May | 8:46 pm – 1:46 am | 5h 00m | Down (25%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 75° |
| Sun 2 May | 8:45 pm – 4:45 am | 8h 00m | Up, 17% lit | ESE 117° → SSW 207°, up to 88° |
| Mon 3 May | 8:34 pm – 4:54 am | 8h 20m | Up, 10% lit | ESE 118° → SSE 156°, up to 88° |
| Tue 4 May | 8:34 pm – 4:54 am | 8h 20m | Up, 5% lit | ESE 117° → S 181°, up to 88° |
| Wed 5 May | 8:33 pm – 4:53 am | 8h 20m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → SSW 206°, up to 88° |
| Thu 6 May | 8:23 pm – 4:53 am | 8h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → SSE 155°, up to 88° |
| Fri 7 May | 8:22 pm – 4:52 am | 8h 30m | Down (2%) | ESE 117° → S 181°, up to 88° |
| Sat 8 May | 8:21 pm – 4:51 am | 8h 30m | Down (6%) | ESE 117° → SSW 206°, up to 88° |
| Sun 9 May | 8:11 pm – 4:51 am | 8h 40m | Down (12%) | ESE 118° → SSE 155°, up to 88° |
| Mon 10 May | 8:10 pm – 4:50 am | 8h 40m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 117° → S 181°, up to 88° |
| Tue 11 May | 9:40 pm – 4:50 am | 7h 10m | Down (31%) | ESE 109° → SSW 207°, up to 88° |
| Wed 12 May | 10:49 pm – 4:49 am | 6h 00m | Down (43%) | ESE 105° → SSE 157°, up to 88° |
| Thu 13 May | 11:59 pm – 4:59 am | 5h 00m | Down (54%) | E 101° → S 184°, up to 88° |
| Fri 14 May | 1:08 am – 4:58 am | 3h 50m | Down (66%) | E 100° → SSW 209°, up to 88° |
| Sat 15 May | 2:08 am – 4:58 am | 2h 50m | Down (76%) | SW 226°, up to 88° |
| Sun 16 May | 3:07 am – 4:57 am | 1h 50m | Down (85%) | W 260°, up to 74° |
| Tue 25 May | 7:14 pm – 8:54 pm | 1h 40m | Down (76%) | ESE 117° → ESE 109°, up to 32° |
| Wed 26 May | 7:04 pm – 9:54 pm | 2h 50m | Down (68%) | ESE 118° → ESE 105°, up to 46° |
| Thu 27 May | 7:04 pm – 10:44 pm | 3h 40m | Down (59%) | ESE 117° → ESE 102°, up to 57° |
| Fri 28 May | 7:04 pm – 11:44 pm | 4h 40m | Down (49%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 71° |
| Sat 29 May | 6:54 pm – 12:34 am | 5h 40m | Down (40%) | ESE 117° → ESE 104°, up to 83° |
| Sun 30 May | 6:54 pm – 1:24 am | 6h 30m | Down (30%) | ESE 117° → SSW 197°, up to 88° |
| Mon 31 May | 6:53 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 10m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 117° → SSE 150°, up to 88° |
| Tue 1 Jun | 6:43 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 20m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 117° → S 178°, up to 88° |
| Wed 2 Jun | 6:43 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 20m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 117° → SSW 207°, up to 88° |
| Thu 3 Jun | 6:33 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 30m | Down (2%) | ESE 117° → SSE 160°, up to 88° |
| Fri 4 Jun | 6:33 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → S 190°, up to 88° |
| Sat 5 Jun | 6:33 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → SE 146°, up to 88° |
| Sun 6 Jun | 6:23 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 40m | Down (4%) | ESE 117° → S 173°, up to 88° |
| Mon 7 Jun | 6:23 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 40m | Up, 10% lit | ESE 117° → SSW 203°, up to 88° |
| Tue 8 Jun | 6:23 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 40m | Up, 18% lit | ESE 117° → SSE 157°, up to 88° |
| Wed 9 Jun | 9:43 pm – 5:03 am | 7h 20m | Down (28%) | ESE 102° → S 187°, up to 88° |
| Thu 10 Jun | 10:53 pm – 5:03 am | 6h 10m | Down (39%) | E 100° → SW 215°, up to 88° |
| Fri 11 Jun | 11:53 pm – 5:03 am | 5h 10m | Down (51%) | ESE 110° → S 171°, up to 88° |
| Sat 12 Jun | 12:53 am – 5:03 am | 4h 10m | Down (62%) | WSW 258°, up to 80° |
| Sun 13 Jun | 1:53 am – 5:03 am | 3h 10m | Down (73%) | W 260°, up to 66° |
| Mon 14 Jun | 2:53 am – 5:03 am | 2h 10m | Down (82%) | WSW 257°, up to 52° |
| Tue 15 Jun | 4:04 am – 5:04 am | 1h 00m | Down (89%) | WSW 253°, up to 37° |
| Tue 22 Jun | 6:25 pm – 7:45 pm | 1h 20m | Down (89%) | ESE 112° → ESE 106°, up to 41° |
| Wed 23 Jun | 6:25 pm – 8:35 pm | 2h 10m | Down (82%) | ESE 111° → ESE 103°, up to 52° |
| Thu 24 Jun | 6:25 pm – 9:35 pm | 3h 10m | Down (74%) | ESE 111° → E 100°, up to 66° |
| Fri 25 Jun | 6:26 pm – 10:26 pm | 4h 00m | Down (65%) | ESE 111° → E 101°, up to 78° |
| Sat 26 Jun | 6:26 pm – 11:16 pm | 4h 50m | Down (55%) | ESE 110° → S 184°, up to 88° |
| Sun 27 Jun | 6:26 pm – 12:16 am | 5h 50m | Down (45%) | ESE 110° → SW 214°, up to 88° |
| Mon 28 Jun | 6:26 pm – 1:16 am | 6h 50m | Down (35%) | ESE 110° → S 171°, up to 88° |
| Tue 29 Jun | 6:27 pm – 2:17 am | 7h 50m | Down (25%) | ESE 109° → SSW 204°, up to 88° |
| Wed 30 Jun | 6:27 pm – 5:07 am | 10h 40m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 109° → SSE 160°, up to 88° |
| Thu 1 Jul | 6:27 pm – 5:07 am | 10h 40m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 109° → SSW 193°, up to 88° |
| Fri 2 Jul | 6:28 pm – 4:58 am | 10h 30m | Down (3%) | ESE 108° → SSE 150°, up to 88° |
| Sat 3 Jul | 6:28 pm – 4:58 am | 10h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 108° → S 181°, up to 88° |
| Sun 4 Jul | 6:28 pm – 4:48 am | 10h 20m | Down (0%) | ESE 108° → SSW 212°, up to 88° |
| Mon 5 Jul | 6:29 pm – 4:49 am | 10h 20m | Down (3%) | ESE 108° → S 169°, up to 88° |
| Tue 6 Jul | 6:29 pm – 4:49 am | 10h 20m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 107° → SSW 203°, up to 88° |
| Wed 7 Jul | 6:29 pm – 4:39 am | 10h 10m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 107° → SSE 159°, up to 88° |
| Thu 8 Jul | 9:40 pm – 4:40 am | 7h 00m | Down (25%) | E 101° → SSW 192°, up to 88° |
| Fri 9 Jul | 10:40 pm – 4:30 am | 5h 50m | Down (36%) | WSW 245°, up to 86° |
| Sat 10 Jul | 11:40 pm – 4:30 am | 4h 50m | Down (47%) | W 260°, up to 72° |
| Sun 11 Jul | 12:41 am – 4:21 am | 3h 40m | Down (58%) | WSW 259°, up to 58° |
| Mon 12 Jul | 1:51 am – 4:21 am | 2h 30m | Down (68%) | WSW 255°, up to 42° |
| Tue 13 Jul | 2:51 am – 4:21 am | 1h 30m | Down (78%) | WSW 250°, up to 28° |
| Thu 22 Jul | 6:35 pm – 8:15 pm | 1h 40m | Down (86%) | ESE 103° → E 100°, up to 73° |
| Fri 23 Jul | 6:35 pm – 9:05 pm | 2h 30m | Down (79%) | ESE 103° → ESE 108°, up to 85° |
| Sat 24 Jul | 6:36 pm – 10:06 pm | 3h 30m | Down (70%) | ESE 103° → S 186°, up to 88° |
| Sun 25 Jul | 6:36 pm – 10:56 pm | 4h 20m | Down (61%) | ESE 102° → SE 145°, up to 88° |
| Mon 26 Jul | 6:37 pm – 11:57 pm | 5h 20m | Down (50%) | ESE 102° → S 175°, up to 88° |
| Tue 27 Jul | 6:37 pm – 1:07 am | 6h 30m | Down (39%) | ESE 102° → SSW 208°, up to 88° |
| Wed 28 Jul | 6:37 pm – 2:07 am | 7h 30m | Down (29%) | ESE 102° → SSE 164°, up to 88° |
| Thu 29 Jul | 6:38 pm – 3:18 am | 8h 40m | Down (19%) | ESE 102° → SSW 199°, up to 88° |
| Fri 30 Jul | 6:38 pm – 3:08 am | 8h 30m | Down (11%) | ESE 101° → SSE 155°, up to 88° |
| Sat 31 Jul | 6:39 pm – 3:09 am | 8h 30m | Down (5%) | E 101° → S 189°, up to 88° |
| Sun 1 Aug | 6:39 pm – 2:59 am | 8h 20m | Down (1%) | E 101° → SSE 147°, up to 88° |
| Mon 2 Aug | 6:40 pm – 3:00 am | 8h 20m | Down (0%) | E 101° → S 178°, up to 88° |
| Tue 3 Aug | 6:40 pm – 2:50 am | 8h 10m | Down (2%) | E 101° → SSW 210°, up to 88° |
| Wed 4 Aug | 6:40 pm – 2:50 am | 8h 10m | Up, 7% lit | E 101° → SSE 167°, up to 88° |
| Thu 5 Aug | 6:41 pm – 2:51 am | 8h 10m | Up, 14% lit | E 100° → SSW 202°, up to 88° |
| Fri 6 Aug | 6:41 pm – 2:41 am | 8h 00m | Up, 22% lit | E 100° → SSE 158°, up to 88° |
| Sat 7 Aug | 10:32 pm – 2:42 am | 4h 10m | Down (32%) | W 259°, up to 63° |
| Sun 8 Aug | 11:32 pm – 2:32 am | 3h 00m | Down (43%) | WSW 256°, up to 49° |
| Mon 9 Aug | 12:32 am – 2:32 am | 2h 00m | Down (53%) | WSW 252°, up to 35° |
| Fri 20 Aug | 6:47 pm – 7:57 pm | 1h 10m | Down (90%) | E 101° → SSE 162°, up to 88° |
| Sat 21 Aug | 6:47 pm – 8:47 pm | 2h 00m | Down (83%) | E 101° → SSW 196°, up to 88° |
| Sun 22 Aug | 6:48 pm – 9:48 pm | 3h 00m | Down (75%) | ESE 102° → SSE 153°, up to 88° |
| Mon 23 Aug | 6:48 pm – 10:48 pm | 4h 00m | Down (65%) | ESE 102° → S 186°, up to 88° |
| Tue 24 Aug | 6:48 pm – 11:58 pm | 5h 10m | Down (55%) | ESE 103° → SE 145°, up to 88° |
| Wed 25 Aug | 6:49 pm – 12:59 am | 6h 10m | Down (43%) | ESE 105° → S 175°, up to 88° |
| Thu 26 Aug | 6:49 pm – 1:29 am | 6h 40m | Down (32%) | ESE 106° → SSW 208°, up to 88° |
| Fri 27 Aug | 6:50 pm – 1:20 am | 6h 30m | Down (22%) | ESE 109° → SSE 164°, up to 88° |
| Sat 28 Aug | 6:50 pm – 1:20 am | 6h 30m | Down (13%) | ESE 113° → SSW 199°, up to 88° |
| Sun 29 Aug | 6:50 pm – 1:10 am | 6h 20m | Down (6%) | ESE 118° → SSE 155°, up to 88° |
| Mon 30 Aug | 6:51 pm – 1:11 am | 6h 20m | Down (2%) | SE 128° → S 188°, up to 88° |
| Tue 31 Aug | 6:51 pm – 1:01 am | 6h 10m | Down (0%) | SSE 147°, up to 88° |
| Wed 1 Sep | 6:52 pm – 1:02 am | 6h 10m | Down (1%) | S 177°, up to 88° |
| Thu 2 Sep | 6:52 pm – 12:52 am | 6h 00m | Up, 5% lit | SSW 210°, up to 88° |
| Fri 3 Sep | 6:52 pm – 12:52 am | 6h 00m | Up, 11% lit | SW 230°, up to 88° |
| Sat 4 Sep | 6:53 pm – 12:53 am | 6h 00m | Up, 19% lit | WSW 241°, up to 87° |
| Sun 5 Sep | 10:23 pm – 12:43 am | 2h 20m | Down (28%) | WSW 254°, up to 40° |
| Mon 6 Sep | 11:24 pm – 12:44 am | 1h 20m | Down (38%) | WSW 250°, up to 27° |
| Sun 19 Sep | 6:59 pm – 8:39 pm | 1h 40m | Down (87%) | W 260°, up to 73° |
| Mon 20 Sep | 7:00 pm – 9:40 pm | 2h 40m | Down (79%) | W 260°, up to 72° |
| Tue 21 Sep | 7:00 pm – 10:40 pm | 3h 40m | Down (70%) | W 260°, up to 71° |
| Wed 22 Sep | 7:01 pm – 11:41 pm | 4h 40m | Down (59%) | W 260°, up to 70° |
| Thu 23 Sep | 7:01 pm – 11:31 pm | 4h 30m | Down (47%) | W 260°, up to 69° |
| Fri 24 Sep | 7:02 pm – 11:32 pm | 4h 30m | Down (36%) | W 260°, up to 68° |
| Sat 25 Sep | 7:02 pm – 11:22 pm | 4h 20m | Down (25%) | W 260°, up to 67° |
| Sun 26 Sep | 7:03 pm – 11:23 pm | 4h 20m | Down (15%) | W 260°, up to 66° |
| Mon 27 Sep | 7:03 pm – 11:13 pm | 4h 10m | Down (8%) | W 260°, up to 65° |
| Tue 28 Sep | 7:04 pm – 11:14 pm | 4h 10m | Down (3%) | W 260°, up to 64° |
| Wed 29 Sep | 7:05 pm – 11:15 pm | 4h 10m | Down (0%) | W 259°, up to 63° |
| Thu 30 Sep | 7:05 pm – 11:05 pm | 4h 00m | Down (1%) | W 259°, up to 62° |
| Fri 1 Oct | 7:06 pm – 11:06 pm | 4h 00m | Down (3%) | W 259°, up to 61° |
| Sat 2 Oct | 7:06 pm – 10:56 pm | 3h 50m | Up, 8% lit | W 259°, up to 60° |
| Sun 3 Oct | 7:07 pm – 10:57 pm | 3h 50m | Up, 15% lit | WSW 259°, up to 59° |
| Mon 4 Oct | 7:08 pm – 10:48 pm | 3h 40m | Up, 23% lit | WSW 258°, up to 58° |
| Mon 18 Oct | 7:17 pm – 8:27 pm | 1h 10m | Down (91%) | WSW 255°, up to 44° |
| Tue 19 Oct | 7:18 pm – 9:38 pm | 2h 20m | Down (83%) | WSW 255°, up to 43° |
| Wed 20 Oct | 7:19 pm – 9:49 pm | 2h 30m | Down (74%) | WSW 254°, up to 42° |
| Thu 21 Oct | 7:19 pm – 9:39 pm | 2h 20m | Down (63%) | WSW 254°, up to 41° |
| Fri 22 Oct | 7:20 pm – 9:40 pm | 2h 20m | Down (51%) | WSW 254°, up to 40° |
| Sat 23 Oct | 7:21 pm – 9:41 pm | 2h 20m | Down (40%) | WSW 254°, up to 39° |
| Sun 24 Oct | 7:22 pm – 9:32 pm | 2h 10m | Down (28%) | WSW 253°, up to 38° |
| Mon 25 Oct | 7:23 pm – 9:33 pm | 2h 10m | Down (19%) | WSW 253°, up to 37° |
| Tue 26 Oct | 7:24 pm – 9:24 pm | 2h 00m | Down (10%) | WSW 253°, up to 36° |
| Wed 27 Oct | 7:24 pm – 9:24 pm | 2h 00m | Down (5%) | WSW 252°, up to 35° |
| Thu 28 Oct | 7:25 pm – 9:15 pm | 1h 50m | Down (1%) | WSW 252°, up to 34° |
| Fri 29 Oct | 7:26 pm – 9:16 pm | 1h 50m | Down (0%) | WSW 252°, up to 33° |
| Sat 30 Oct | 7:27 pm – 9:07 pm | 1h 40m | Down (2%) | WSW 251°, up to 32° |
| Sun 31 Oct | 7:28 pm – 9:08 pm | 1h 40m | Up, 5% lit | WSW 251°, up to 31° |
| Mon 1 Nov | 7:29 pm – 8:59 pm | 1h 30m | Up, 11% lit | WSW 251°, up to 30° |
| Tue 2 Nov | 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm | 1h 30m | Up, 17% lit | WSW 250°, up to 29° |
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 | 125 | 51 | 10h 40m | June | 88° |
| Longreach | 125 | 50 | 10h 30m | June | 84° |
| Cairns | 123 | 49 | 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 2027?
June and July. In June, 20 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 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 5:50 pm to 6:10 am Brisbane time. The dark part of that is the window shown for each night above.