Milky Way Calendar South Australia 2026
From Adelaide, the core is up after dark from 29 January to 7 November 2026. Best months: June and July. It climbs to 84° above the northern horizon.
In Coober Pedy the core peaks at 90°, 6° higher than in Adelaide, with 129 great nights to Adelaide's 132 across SA.
Next good night from Adelaide: Thursday 5 November, 9:22 pm – 10:32 pm (1h 10m).
Times are Adelaide local time (ACST, or ACDT 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 Adelaide
| Month | Core up (15th) | Typical dark window | Great nights | Good nights | Best dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | — | 1h 00m | 0 | 0 | 29 Jan |
| February | 2:50 am – 3:40 pm | 2h 40m | 6 | 10 | 24 Feb, 25 Feb, 26 Feb |
| March | 1:00 am – 1:50 pm | 5h 00m | 14 | 2 | 22 Mar, 24 Mar, 25 Mar |
| April | 10:00 pm – 10:50 am | 7h 00m | 15 | 2 | 18 Apr, 21 Apr, 22 Apr |
| May | 8:00 pm – 8:50 am | 7h 15m | 17 | 2 | 18 May, 19 May, 20 May |
| June | 6:00 pm – 6:50 am | 6h 55m | 18 | 4 | 16 Jun, 17 Jun, 18 Jun |
| July | 4:00 pm – 4:50 am | 6h 40m | 17 | 3 | 10 Jul, 11 Jul, 12 Jul |
| August | 2:00 pm – 2:50 am | 7h 05m | 16 | 3 | 8 Aug, 9 Aug, 10 Aug |
| September | 12:00 pm – 12:50 am | 5h 30m | 14 | 2 | 4 Sep, 5 Sep, 6 Sep |
| October | 11:00 am – 11:50 pm | 3h 20m | 15 | 3 | 2 Oct, 3 Oct, 4 Oct |
| November | 9:00 am – 9:50 pm | 1h 10m | 0 | 1 | 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 Adelaide
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 29 Jan | 3:52 am – 4:52 am | 1h 00m | Down (87%) | ESE 118° → ESE 111°, up to 21° |
| Thu 12 Feb | 3:05 am – 5:05 am | 2h 00m | Up, 23% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 104°, up to 35° |
| Fri 13 Feb | 2:54 am – 5:14 am | 2h 20m | Up, 15% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 102°, up to 37° |
| Sat 14 Feb | 2:52 am – 5:12 am | 2h 20m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 102°, up to 38° |
| Sun 15 Feb | 2:51 am – 5:11 am | 2h 20m | Up, 4% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 102°, up to 38° |
| Mon 16 Feb | 2:50 am – 5:20 am | 2h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 41° |
| Tue 17 Feb | 2:38 am – 5:18 am | 2h 40m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → E 100°, up to 41° |
| Wed 18 Feb | 2:37 am – 5:17 am | 2h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → E 100°, up to 42° |
| Thu 19 Feb | 2:35 am – 5:15 am | 2h 40m | Down (5%) | ESE 118° → E 99°, up to 42° |
| Fri 20 Feb | 2:34 am – 5:24 am | 2h 50m | Down (11%) | ESE 117° → E 98°, up to 45° |
| Sat 21 Feb | 2:22 am – 5:22 am | 3h 00m | Down (19%) | ESE 118° → E 98°, up to 45° |
| Sun 22 Feb | 2:21 am – 5:21 am | 3h 00m | Down (29%) | ESE 118° → E 98°, up to 46° |
| Mon 23 Feb | 2:20 am – 5:20 am | 3h 00m | Down (40%) | ESE 118° → E 97°, up to 46° |
| Tue 24 Feb | 2:18 am – 5:28 am | 3h 10m | Down (52%) | ESE 117° → E 96°, up to 49° |
| Wed 25 Feb | 2:07 am – 5:27 am | 3h 20m | Down (64%) | ESE 118° → E 95°, up to 49° |
| Thu 26 Feb | 2:05 am – 5:25 am | 3h 20m | Down (74%) | ESE 118° → E 95°, up to 50° |
| Fri 27 Feb | 3:14 am – 5:24 am | 2h 10m | Down (84%) | ESE 110° → E 95°, up to 50° |
| Sat 28 Feb | 4:22 am – 5:32 am | 1h 10m | Down (91%) | ESE 101° → E 93°, up to 53° |
| Sat 14 Mar | 1:01 am – 5:41 am | 4h 40m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 118° → E 83°, up to 66° |
| Sun 15 Mar | 12:59 am – 5:49 am | 4h 50m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 118° → E 81°, up to 69° |
| Mon 16 Mar | 12:58 am – 5:48 am | 4h 50m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 118° → E 80°, up to 69° |
| Tue 17 Mar | 12:56 am – 5:46 am | 4h 50m | Down (3%) | ESE 117° → E 80°, up to 69° |
| Wed 18 Mar | 12:45 am – 5:45 am | 5h 00m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → E 79°, up to 70° |
| Thu 19 Mar | 12:43 am – 5:53 am | 5h 10m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → ENE 76°, up to 72° |
| Fri 20 Mar | 12:42 am – 5:52 am | 5h 10m | Down (3%) | ESE 118° → ENE 75°, up to 73° |
| Sat 21 Mar | 12:40 am – 5:50 am | 5h 10m | Down (8%) | ESE 117° → ENE 74°, up to 73° |
| Sun 22 Mar | 12:29 am – 5:49 am | 5h 20m | Down (16%) | ESE 118° → ENE 73°, up to 74° |
| Mon 23 Mar | 12:27 am – 5:47 am | 5h 20m | Down (25%) | ESE 118° → ENE 72°, up to 74° |
| Tue 24 Mar | 12:26 am – 5:56 am | 5h 30m | Down (36%) | ESE 118° → ENE 67°, up to 77° |
| Wed 25 Mar | 12:24 am – 5:54 am | 5h 30m | Down (48%) | ESE 117° → ENE 66°, up to 77° |
| Thu 26 Mar | 12:53 am – 5:53 am | 5h 00m | Down (59%) | ESE 113° → ENE 65°, up to 78° |
| Fri 27 Mar | 2:02 am – 5:52 am | 3h 50m | Down (70%) | ESE 105° → ENE 63°, up to 78° |
| Sat 28 Mar | 3:20 am – 6:00 am | 2h 40m | Down (80%) | E 96° → NE 54°, up to 80° |
| Sun 29 Mar | 4:29 am – 5:59 am | 1h 30m | Down (88%) | E 86° → NE 52°, up to 81° |
| Fri 10 Apr | 10:12 pm – 11:32 pm | 1h 20m | Down (45%) | ESE 119° → ESE 109°, up to 25° |
| Sat 11 Apr | 10:11 pm – 12:41 am | 2h 30m | Down (36%) | ESE 118° → E 101°, up to 39° |
| Sun 12 Apr | 10:10 pm – 1:40 am | 3h 30m | Down (26%) | ESE 118° → E 94°, up to 52° |
| Mon 13 Apr | 10:09 pm – 5:09 am | 7h 00m | Up, 18% lit | ESE 118° → N 9°, up to 84° |
| Tue 14 Apr | 9:57 pm – 5:07 am | 7h 10m | Up, 10% lit | ESE 118° → N 3°, up to 84° |
| Wed 15 Apr | 9:56 pm – 5:06 am | 7h 10m | Up, 5% lit | ESE 118° → N 357°, up to 84° |
| Thu 16 Apr | 9:55 pm – 5:15 am | 7h 20m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → N 352°, up to 84° |
| Fri 17 Apr | 9:54 pm – 5:14 am | 7h 20m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → N 7°, up to 84° |
| Sat 18 Apr | 9:43 pm – 5:13 am | 7h 30m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → N 1°, up to 84° |
| Sun 19 Apr | 9:41 pm – 5:11 am | 7h 30m | Down (6%) | ESE 118° → N 355°, up to 84° |
| Mon 20 Apr | 9:40 pm – 5:10 am | 7h 30m | Down (13%) | ESE 118° → N 350°, up to 84° |
| Tue 21 Apr | 9:29 pm – 5:19 am | 7h 50m | Down (22%) | ESE 119° → N 5°, up to 84° |
| Wed 22 Apr | 9:38 pm – 5:18 am | 7h 40m | Down (32%) | ESE 117° → N 359°, up to 84° |
| Thu 23 Apr | 10:47 pm – 5:17 am | 6h 30m | Down (44%) | ESE 108° → N 353°, up to 84° |
| Fri 24 Apr | 11:56 pm – 5:16 am | 5h 20m | Down (55%) | E 100° → N 8°, up to 84° |
| Sat 25 Apr | 1:15 am – 5:15 am | 4h 00m | Down (66%) | E 90° → N 2°, up to 84° |
| Sun 26 Apr | 2:14 am – 5:14 am | 3h 00m | Down (76%) | ENE 79° → N 355°, up to 84° |
| Mon 27 Apr | 3:23 am – 5:23 am | 2h 00m | Down (85%) | NNE 29° → N 10°, up to 84° |
| Tue 28 Apr | 4:22 am – 5:22 am | 1h 00m | Down (91%) | WNW 297°, up to 78° |
| Fri 8 May | 8:23 pm – 10:23 pm | 2h 00m | Down (62%) | ESE 118° → ESE 105°, up to 33° |
| Sat 9 May | 8:22 pm – 11:32 pm | 3h 10m | Down (52%) | ESE 118° → E 96°, up to 48° |
| Sun 10 May | 8:22 pm – 12:32 am | 4h 10m | Down (41%) | ESE 118° → E 88°, up to 61° |
| Mon 11 May | 8:11 pm – 1:31 am | 5h 20m | Down (31%) | ESE 118° → ENE 74°, up to 74° |
| Tue 12 May | 8:10 pm – 5:30 am | 9h 20m | Up, 22% lit | ESE 118° → N 357°, up to 84° |
| Wed 13 May | 8:10 pm – 5:30 am | 9h 20m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 118° → N 350°, up to 84° |
| Thu 14 May | 7:59 pm – 5:29 am | 9h 30m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 118° → N 4°, up to 84° |
| Fri 15 May | 7:58 pm – 5:28 am | 9h 30m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → N 357°, up to 84° |
| Sat 16 May | 7:58 pm – 5:28 am | 9h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → N 350°, up to 84° |
| Sun 17 May | 7:47 pm – 5:27 am | 9h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → N 4°, up to 84° |
| Mon 18 May | 7:47 pm – 5:37 am | 9h 50m | Down (5%) | ESE 118° → N 357°, up to 84° |
| Tue 19 May | 7:46 pm – 5:36 am | 9h 50m | Down (11%) | ESE 118° → N 350°, up to 84° |
| Wed 20 May | 7:36 pm – 5:36 am | 10h 00m | Up, 19% lit | ESE 118° → N 4°, up to 84° |
| Thu 21 May | 9:45 pm – 5:35 am | 7h 50m | Down (29%) | ESE 103° → N 357°, up to 84° |
| Fri 22 May | 10:55 pm – 5:35 am | 6h 40m | Down (40%) | E 95° → N 10°, up to 84° |
| Sat 23 May | 12:04 am – 5:34 am | 5h 30m | Down (51%) | E 84° → N 3°, up to 84° |
| Sun 24 May | 1:04 am – 5:34 am | 4h 30m | Down (62%) | ENE 63° → N 355°, up to 84° |
| Mon 25 May | 2:13 am – 5:33 am | 3h 20m | Down (72%) | NW 316°, up to 82° |
| Tue 26 May | 3:13 am – 5:33 am | 2h 20m | Down (81%) | W 281°, up to 70° |
| Wed 27 May | 4:13 am – 5:33 am | 1h 20m | Down (88%) | W 270°, up to 57° |
| Thu 4 Jun | 6:41 pm – 8:11 pm | 1h 30m | Down (84%) | ESE 118° → ESE 107°, up to 28° |
| Fri 5 Jun | 6:41 pm – 9:21 pm | 2h 40m | Down (76%) | ESE 117° → E 99°, up to 43° |
| Sat 6 Jun | 6:41 pm – 10:21 pm | 3h 40m | Down (67%) | ESE 117° → E 91°, up to 56° |
| Sun 7 Jun | 6:41 pm – 11:21 pm | 4h 40m | Down (57%) | ESE 117° → E 81°, up to 69° |
| Mon 8 Jun | 6:41 pm – 12:31 am | 5h 50m | Down (46%) | ESE 116° → NE 40°, up to 82° |
| Tue 9 Jun | 6:40 pm – 1:30 am | 6h 50m | Down (36%) | ESE 116° → N 356°, up to 84° |
| Wed 10 Jun | 6:40 pm – 2:40 am | 8h 00m | Down (25%) | ESE 115° → N 9°, up to 84° |
| Thu 11 Jun | 6:40 pm – 5:40 am | 11h 00m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 115° → N 1°, up to 84° |
| Fri 12 Jun | 6:40 pm – 5:40 am | 11h 00m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 114° → N 352°, up to 84° |
| Sat 13 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:41 am | 11h 00m | Down (3%) | ESE 114° → N 5°, up to 84° |
| Sun 14 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:41 am | 11h 00m | Down (1%) | ESE 113° → N 357°, up to 84° |
| Mon 15 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:41 am | 11h 00m | Down (1%) | ESE 113° → N 9°, up to 84° |
| Tue 16 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Down (3%) | ESE 112° → N 1°, up to 84° |
| Wed 17 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 112° → N 352°, up to 84° |
| Thu 18 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 111° → N 5°, up to 84° |
| Fri 19 Jun | 9:51 pm – 5:51 am | 8h 00m | Down (26%) | E 88° → N 356°, up to 84° |
| Sat 20 Jun | 10:51 pm – 5:51 am | 7h 00m | Down (36%) | ENE 75° → N 8°, up to 84° |
| Sun 21 Jun | 12:02 am – 5:52 am | 5h 50m | Down (46%) | N 0°, up to 84° |
| Mon 22 Jun | 1:02 am – 5:52 am | 4h 50m | Down (57%) | WNW 289°, up to 75° |
| Tue 23 Jun | 2:02 am – 5:52 am | 3h 50m | Down (67%) | W 273°, up to 62° |
| Wed 24 Jun | 3:02 am – 5:52 am | 2h 50m | Down (76%) | W 264°, up to 49° |
| Thu 25 Jun | 4:03 am – 5:53 am | 1h 50m | Down (84%) | WSW 257°, up to 36° |
| Fri 3 Jul | 6:45 pm – 8:05 pm | 1h 20m | Down (88%) | ESE 104° → E 95°, up to 50° |
| Sat 4 Jul | 6:46 pm – 9:06 pm | 2h 20m | Down (81%) | ESE 104° → E 86°, up to 63° |
| Sun 5 Jul | 6:46 pm – 10:16 pm | 3h 30m | Down (72%) | ESE 103° → ENE 64°, up to 78° |
| Mon 6 Jul | 6:47 pm – 11:17 pm | 4h 30m | Down (62%) | ESE 103° → N 351°, up to 84° |
| Tue 7 Jul | 6:47 pm – 12:27 am | 5h 40m | Down (51%) | ESE 102° → N 3°, up to 84° |
| Wed 8 Jul | 6:47 pm – 1:27 am | 6h 40m | Down (39%) | ESE 102° → N 354°, up to 84° |
| Thu 9 Jul | 6:48 pm – 2:38 am | 7h 50m | Down (28%) | ESE 101° → N 6°, up to 84° |
| Fri 10 Jul | 6:48 pm – 5:18 am | 10h 30m | Up, 19% lit | E 101° → N 357°, up to 84° |
| Sat 11 Jul | 6:49 pm – 5:09 am | 10h 20m | Down (10%) | E 100° → N 8°, up to 84° |
| Sun 12 Jul | 6:49 pm – 5:09 am | 10h 20m | Down (4%) | E 100° → N 359°, up to 84° |
| Mon 13 Jul | 6:50 pm – 5:00 am | 10h 10m | Down (1%) | E 99° → N 350°, up to 84° |
| Tue 14 Jul | 6:50 pm – 5:00 am | 10h 10m | Down (0%) | E 99° → N 2°, up to 84° |
| Wed 15 Jul | 6:51 pm – 4:51 am | 10h 00m | Down (2%) | E 98° → N 352°, up to 84° |
| Thu 16 Jul | 6:51 pm – 4:51 am | 10h 00m | Up, 7% lit | E 98° → N 4°, up to 84° |
| Fri 17 Jul | 6:52 pm – 4:42 am | 9h 50m | Up, 14% lit | E 97° → N 354°, up to 84° |
| Sat 18 Jul | 6:52 pm – 4:42 am | 9h 50m | Up, 22% lit | E 97° → N 6°, up to 84° |
| Sun 19 Jul | 10:53 pm – 4:43 am | 5h 50m | Down (31%) | WNW 301°, up to 79° |
| Mon 20 Jul | 11:54 pm – 4:34 am | 4h 40m | Down (41%) | W 277°, up to 67° |
| Tue 21 Jul | 12:54 am – 4:34 am | 3h 40m | Down (51%) | W 267°, up to 54° |
| Wed 22 Jul | 1:55 am – 4:25 am | 2h 30m | Down (61%) | W 259°, up to 40° |
| Thu 23 Jul | 2:55 am – 4:25 am | 1h 30m | Down (70%) | WSW 252°, up to 28° |
| Sat 1 Aug | 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm | 1h 00m | Down (91%) | E 89° → ENE 76°, up to 72° |
| Sun 2 Aug | 7:01 pm – 9:01 pm | 2h 00m | Down (84%) | E 88° → NNE 30°, up to 83° |
| Mon 3 Aug | 7:02 pm – 10:12 pm | 3h 10m | Down (76%) | E 87° → N 2°, up to 84° |
| Tue 4 Aug | 7:02 pm – 11:12 pm | 4h 10m | Down (66%) | E 86° → N 352°, up to 84° |
| Wed 5 Aug | 7:03 pm – 12:23 am | 5h 20m | Down (54%) | E 86° → N 4°, up to 84° |
| Thu 6 Aug | 7:03 pm – 1:33 am | 6h 30m | Down (43%) | E 85° → N 354°, up to 84° |
| Fri 7 Aug | 7:04 pm – 2:54 am | 7h 50m | Down (31%) | E 84° → N 6°, up to 84° |
| Sat 8 Aug | 7:05 pm – 3:25 am | 8h 20m | Down (21%) | E 83° → N 356°, up to 84° |
| Sun 9 Aug | 7:05 pm – 3:15 am | 8h 10m | Down (12%) | E 82° → N 8°, up to 84° |
| Mon 10 Aug | 7:06 pm – 3:16 am | 8h 10m | Down (6%) | E 81° → N 358°, up to 84° |
| Tue 11 Aug | 7:07 pm – 3:07 am | 8h 00m | Down (1%) | E 80° → N 9°, up to 84° |
| Wed 12 Aug | 7:07 pm – 3:07 am | 8h 00m | Down (0%) | E 79° → N 0°, up to 84° |
| Thu 13 Aug | 7:08 pm – 2:58 am | 7h 50m | Down (1%) | ENE 78° → N 350°, up to 84° |
| Fri 14 Aug | 7:08 pm – 2:58 am | 7h 50m | Up, 5% lit | ENE 77° → N 2°, up to 84° |
| Sat 15 Aug | 7:09 pm – 2:49 am | 7h 40m | Up, 11% lit | ENE 75° → N 352°, up to 84° |
| Sun 16 Aug | 7:10 pm – 2:50 am | 7h 40m | Up, 18% lit | ENE 74° → N 4°, up to 84° |
| Mon 17 Aug | 10:40 pm – 2:40 am | 4h 00m | Down (27%) | W 271°, up to 59° |
| Tue 18 Aug | 11:41 pm – 2:41 am | 3h 00m | Down (36%) | W 263°, up to 46° |
| Wed 19 Aug | 12:42 am – 2:42 am | 2h 00m | Down (45%) | WSW 255°, up to 33° |
| Mon 31 Aug | 7:19 pm – 8:59 pm | 1h 40m | Down (87%) | N 6°, up to 84° |
| Tue 1 Sep | 7:20 pm – 10:10 pm | 2h 50m | Down (79%) | N 357°, up to 84° |
| Wed 2 Sep | 7:21 pm – 11:21 pm | 4h 00m | Down (69%) | NNW 347°, up to 84° |
| Thu 3 Sep | 7:21 pm – 12:31 am | 5h 10m | Down (58%) | NNW 338°, up to 84° |
| Fri 4 Sep | 7:22 pm – 1:32 am | 6h 10m | Down (46%) | NNW 330°, up to 83° |
| Sat 5 Sep | 7:23 pm – 1:33 am | 6h 10m | Down (35%) | NW 323°, up to 83° |
| Sun 6 Sep | 7:23 pm – 1:23 am | 6h 00m | Down (24%) | NW 317°, up to 82° |
| Mon 7 Sep | 7:24 pm – 1:24 am | 6h 00m | Down (15%) | NW 312°, up to 81° |
| Tue 8 Sep | 7:25 pm – 1:15 am | 5h 50m | Down (7%) | NW 307°, up to 81° |
| Wed 9 Sep | 7:26 pm – 1:16 am | 5h 50m | Down (2%) | WNW 303°, up to 80° |
| Thu 10 Sep | 7:26 pm – 1:06 am | 5h 40m | Down (0%) | WNW 300°, up to 79° |
| Fri 11 Sep | 7:27 pm – 1:07 am | 5h 40m | Down (0%) | WNW 297°, up to 78° |
| Sat 12 Sep | 7:28 pm – 12:58 am | 5h 30m | Down (3%) | WNW 294°, up to 77° |
| Sun 13 Sep | 7:28 pm – 12:58 am | 5h 30m | Up, 8% lit | WNW 292°, up to 76° |
| Mon 14 Sep | 7:29 pm – 12:59 am | 5h 30m | Up, 14% lit | WNW 290°, up to 76° |
| Tue 15 Sep | 7:30 pm – 12:50 am | 5h 20m | Up, 21% lit | WNW 288°, up to 75° |
| Wed 16 Sep | 11:31 pm – 12:51 am | 1h 20m | Down (30%) | WSW 251°, up to 25° |
| Tue 29 Sep | 7:41 pm – 9:01 pm | 1h 20m | Down (90%) | W 272°, up to 61° |
| Wed 30 Sep | 7:42 pm – 10:12 pm | 2h 30m | Down (82%) | W 272°, up to 60° |
| Thu 1 Oct | 7:43 pm – 11:23 pm | 3h 40m | Down (73%) | W 271°, up to 59° |
| Fri 2 Oct | 7:44 pm – 11:44 pm | 4h 00m | Down (62%) | W 270°, up to 58° |
| Sat 3 Oct | 7:45 pm – 11:35 pm | 3h 50m | Down (50%) | W 270°, up to 57° |
| Sun 4 Oct | 8:46 pm – 12:36 am | 3h 50m | Down (38%) | W 269°, up to 56° |
| Mon 5 Oct | 8:47 pm – 12:37 am | 3h 50m | Down (27%) | W 268°, up to 55° |
| Tue 6 Oct | 8:48 pm – 12:28 am | 3h 40m | Down (17%) | W 268°, up to 54° |
| Wed 7 Oct | 8:49 pm – 12:29 am | 3h 40m | Down (10%) | W 267°, up to 53° |
| Thu 8 Oct | 8:50 pm – 12:20 am | 3h 30m | Down (4%) | W 266°, up to 52° |
| Fri 9 Oct | 8:51 pm – 12:21 am | 3h 30m | Down (1%) | W 266°, up to 51° |
| Sat 10 Oct | 8:52 pm – 12:12 am | 3h 20m | Down (0%) | W 265°, up to 50° |
| Sun 11 Oct | 8:53 pm – 12:13 am | 3h 20m | Down (1%) | W 264°, up to 49° |
| Mon 12 Oct | 8:54 pm – 12:04 am | 3h 10m | Up, 5% lit | W 264°, up to 48° |
| Tue 13 Oct | 8:55 pm – 12:05 am | 3h 10m | Up, 10% lit | W 263°, up to 47° |
| Wed 14 Oct | 8:56 pm – 11:56 pm | 3h 00m | Up, 16% lit | W 263°, up to 46° |
| Thu 15 Oct | 8:57 pm – 11:57 pm | 3h 00m | Up, 23% lit | W 262°, up to 45° |
| Wed 28 Oct | 9:12 pm – 10:12 pm | 1h 00m | Down (93%) | WSW 255°, up to 32° |
| Thu 29 Oct | 9:13 pm – 10:53 pm | 1h 40m | Down (85%) | WSW 254°, up to 31° |
| Fri 30 Oct | 9:15 pm – 10:55 pm | 1h 40m | Down (76%) | WSW 254°, up to 30° |
| Sat 31 Oct | 9:16 pm – 10:46 pm | 1h 30m | Down (65%) | WSW 253°, up to 29° |
| Sun 1 Nov | 9:17 pm – 10:47 pm | 1h 30m | Down (54%) | WSW 252°, up to 28° |
| Mon 2 Nov | 9:19 pm – 10:39 pm | 1h 20m | Down (42%) | WSW 252°, up to 27° |
| Tue 3 Nov | 9:20 pm – 10:40 pm | 1h 20m | Down (31%) | WSW 251°, up to 26° |
| Wed 4 Nov | 9:21 pm – 10:31 pm | 1h 10m | Down (21%) | WSW 251°, up to 25° |
| Thu 5 Nov | 9:22 pm – 10:32 pm | 1h 10m | Down (13%) | WSW 250°, up to 24° |
| Fri 6 Nov | 9:24 pm – 10:24 pm | 1h 00m | Down (7%) | WSW 250°, up to 23° |
| Sat 7 Nov | 9:25 pm – 10:25 pm | 1h 00m | Down (3%) | WSW 249°, up to 22° |
Across South Australia
The calendar above is worked out for Adelaide. The moon sets the season's first and last nights, so they barely move across SA. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | 132 | 32 | 11h 10m | June | 84° |
| Coober Pedy | 129 | 37 | 10h 50m | June | 90° |
| Port Lincoln | 132 | 32 | 11h 00m | June | 84° |
Dark-sky sites in South Australia
Adelaide'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.
- River Murray Dark Sky Reserve, 100 km from Adelaide. An International Dark Sky Reserve around Swan Reach, under two hours from Adelaide.
- Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges, 378 km from Adelaide (Bortle 4). Ancient ranges with outback-dark skies.
- Arkaroola, 518 km from Adelaide. A wilderness sanctuary in the northern Flinders with its own observatories.
- Flinders Chase, Kangaroo Island, 206 km from Adelaide. An island national park with dark sea horizons.
Questions
When is the best time to see the Milky Way in South Australia in 2026?
June and July. In June, 18 nights from Adelaide have a dark core window of 3 hours or more, and the typical window is 6h 55m. Plan around the new moon: the nights either side of full moon drop out.
How high does the Milky Way core get in South Australia?
From Adelaide it climbs to 84° above the northern horizon. In Coober Pedy it reaches 90°. The higher the core, the less haze and light glow it shines through.
When does the Milky Way season start and end in South Australia?
In 2026 the first night with the core up in a dark sky is 29 January, and the last is 7 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 6:00 pm to 6:50 am Adelaide time. The dark part of that is the window shown for each night above.