Milky Way Calendar South Australia 2027
From Adelaide, the core is up after dark from 1 February to 2 November 2027. Best months: June and May. It climbs to 84° above the northern horizon.
In Coober Pedy the core peaks at 90°, 6° higher than in Adelaide, with 125 great nights to Adelaide's 127 across SA.
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 | Core not up after dark | ||||
| February | 2:50 am – 3:50 pm | 2h 00m | 0 | 13 | 13 Feb, 14 Feb, 15 Feb |
| March | 1:00 am – 2:00 pm | 4h 05m | 15 | 2 | 14 Mar, 15 Mar, 16 Mar |
| April | 10:00 pm – 10:50 am | 6h 10m | 16 | 4 | 7 Apr, 11 Apr, 12 Apr |
| May | 8:00 pm – 9:00 am | 7h 40m | 20 | 3 | 8 May, 10 May, 31 May |
| June | 6:00 pm – 6:50 am | 7h 10m | 20 | 2 | 3 Jun, 4 Jun, 5 Jun |
| July | 4:00 pm – 5:00 am | 7h 20m | 19 | 3 | 1 Jul, 2 Jul, 3 Jul |
| August | 2:00 pm – 2:50 am | 6h 40m | 18 | 2 | 1 Aug, 2 Aug, 3 Aug |
| September | 12:00 pm – 12:50 am | 4h 30m | 15 | 2 | 1 Sep, 2 Sep, 3 Sep |
| October | 11:00 am – 11:50 pm | 2h 15m | 4 | 13 | 1 Oct, 2 Oct, 3 Oct |
| November | 9:00 am – 9:50 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 Adelaide
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 | 3:49 am – 4:59 am | 1h 10m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 109°, up to 25° |
| Tue 2 Feb | 3:38 am – 4:58 am | 1h 20m | Up, 14% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 109°, up to 25° |
| Wed 3 Feb | 3:37 am – 4:57 am | 1h 20m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 109°, up to 26° |
| Thu 4 Feb | 3:36 am – 4:56 am | 1h 20m | Up, 4% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 108°, up to 26° |
| Fri 5 Feb | 3:34 am – 5:04 am | 1h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → ESE 107°, up to 29° |
| Sat 6 Feb | 3:23 am – 5:03 am | 1h 40m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → ESE 107°, up to 29° |
| Sun 7 Feb | 3:22 am – 5:02 am | 1h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → ESE 106°, up to 30° |
| Mon 8 Feb | 3:21 am – 5:01 am | 1h 40m | Down (4%) | ESE 118° → ESE 106°, up to 30° |
| Tue 9 Feb | 3:09 am – 5:09 am | 2h 00m | Down (8%) | ESE 118° → ESE 105°, up to 33° |
| Wed 10 Feb | 3:08 am – 5:08 am | 2h 00m | Down (15%) | ESE 118° → ESE 104°, up to 33° |
| Thu 11 Feb | 3:07 am – 5:07 am | 2h 00m | Down (23%) | ESE 118° → ESE 104°, up to 34° |
| Fri 12 Feb | 3:05 am – 5:05 am | 2h 00m | Down (33%) | ESE 118° → ESE 104°, up to 35° |
| Sat 13 Feb | 2:54 am – 5:14 am | 2h 20m | Down (44%) | ESE 118° → ESE 102°, up to 37° |
| Sun 14 Feb | 2:53 am – 5:13 am | 2h 20m | Down (55%) | ESE 118° → ESE 102°, up to 38° |
| Mon 15 Feb | 2:51 am – 5:11 am | 2h 20m | Down (67%) | ESE 118° → ESE 102°, up to 38° |
| Tue 16 Feb | 2:50 am – 5:10 am | 2h 20m | Down (77%) | ESE 117° → ESE 102°, up to 39° |
| Wed 17 Feb | 3:19 am – 5:19 am | 2h 00m | Down (86%) | ESE 114° → E 100°, up to 41° |
| Wed 3 Mar | 1:48 am – 5:28 am | 3h 40m | Up, 20% lit | ESE 118° → E 92°, up to 54° |
| Thu 4 Mar | 1:46 am – 5:36 am | 3h 50m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 118° → E 91°, up to 57° |
| Fri 5 Mar | 1:35 am – 5:35 am | 4h 00m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 119° → E 90°, up to 57° |
| Sat 6 Mar | 1:33 am – 5:33 am | 4h 00m | Down (3%) | ESE 118° → E 90°, up to 58° |
| Sun 7 Mar | 1:32 am – 5:32 am | 4h 00m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → E 90°, up to 58° |
| Mon 8 Mar | 1:30 am – 5:40 am | 4h 10m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → E 88°, up to 61° |
| Tue 9 Mar | 1:29 am – 5:39 am | 4h 10m | Down (2%) | ESE 117° → E 87°, up to 61° |
| Wed 10 Mar | 1:17 am – 5:37 am | 4h 20m | Down (5%) | ESE 118° → E 87°, up to 62° |
| Thu 11 Mar | 1:16 am – 5:36 am | 4h 20m | Down (11%) | ESE 118° → E 87°, up to 62° |
| Fri 12 Mar | 1:14 am – 5:44 am | 4h 30m | Down (19%) | ESE 118° → E 85°, up to 65° |
| Sat 13 Mar | 1:13 am – 5:43 am | 4h 30m | Down (28%) | ESE 117° → E 84°, up to 65° |
| Sun 14 Mar | 1:01 am – 5:41 am | 4h 40m | Down (39%) | ESE 118° → E 84°, up to 66° |
| Mon 15 Mar | 1:00 am – 5:40 am | 4h 40m | Down (51%) | ESE 118° → E 83°, up to 66° |
| Tue 16 Mar | 1:08 am – 5:48 am | 4h 40m | Down (62%) | ESE 116° → E 80°, up to 69° |
| Wed 17 Mar | 2:17 am – 5:47 am | 3h 30m | Down (73%) | ESE 108° → E 80°, up to 69° |
| Thu 18 Mar | 3:35 am – 5:45 am | 2h 10m | Down (83%) | E 99° → E 79°, up to 70° |
| Fri 19 Mar | 4:44 am – 5:44 am | 1h 00m | Down (91%) | E 90° → ENE 79°, up to 70° |
| Wed 31 Mar | 11:56 pm – 1:26 am | 1h 30m | Down (35%) | ESE 118° → ESE 108°, up to 28° |
| Thu 1 Apr | 11:55 pm – 2:25 am | 2h 30m | Down (27%) | ESE 118° → E 101°, up to 40° |
| Fri 2 Apr | 11:53 pm – 6:03 am | 6h 10m | Up, 19% lit | ESE 117° → NNE 27°, up to 83° |
| Sat 3 Apr | 11:42 pm – 5:02 am | 6h 20m | Up, 12% lit | ESE 118° → NNE 22°, up to 84° |
| Sun 4 Apr | 10:41 pm – 5:01 am | 6h 20m | Up, 6% lit | ESE 118° → NNE 18°, up to 84° |
| Mon 5 Apr | 10:39 pm – 4:59 am | 6h 20m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → NNE 12°, up to 84° |
| Tue 6 Apr | 10:38 pm – 5:08 am | 6h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → N 7°, up to 84° |
| Wed 7 Apr | 10:27 pm – 5:07 am | 6h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → N 2°, up to 84° |
| Thu 8 Apr | 10:25 pm – 5:05 am | 6h 40m | Down (3%) | ESE 118° → N 356°, up to 84° |
| Fri 9 Apr | 10:24 pm – 5:04 am | 6h 40m | Down (8%) | ESE 118° → N 351°, up to 84° |
| Sat 10 Apr | 10:23 pm – 5:03 am | 6h 40m | Down (15%) | ESE 117° → N 6°, up to 84° |
| Sun 11 Apr | 10:11 pm – 5:11 am | 7h 00m | Down (24%) | ESE 118° → N 0°, up to 84° |
| Mon 12 Apr | 10:10 pm – 5:10 am | 7h 00m | Down (35%) | ESE 118° → N 355°, up to 84° |
| Tue 13 Apr | 10:59 pm – 5:09 am | 6h 10m | Down (47%) | ESE 112° → N 10°, up to 84° |
| Wed 14 Apr | 12:18 am – 5:08 am | 4h 50m | Down (58%) | ESE 102° → N 5°, up to 84° |
| Thu 15 Apr | 1:26 am – 5:06 am | 3h 40m | Down (70%) | E 94° → N 359°, up to 84° |
| Fri 16 Apr | 2:35 am – 5:15 am | 2h 40m | Down (80%) | E 83° → N 353°, up to 84° |
| Sat 17 Apr | 3:44 am – 5:14 am | 1h 30m | Down (88%) | NE 53° → N 9°, up to 84° |
| Tue 27 Apr | 9:13 pm – 10:23 pm | 1h 10m | Down (61%) | ESE 118° → ESE 109°, up to 24° |
| Wed 28 Apr | 9:12 pm – 11:22 pm | 2h 10m | Down (52%) | ESE 117° → ESE 102°, up to 37° |
| Thu 29 Apr | 9:01 pm – 12:21 am | 3h 20m | Down (42%) | ESE 118° → E 95°, up to 50° |
| Fri 30 Apr | 9:00 pm – 1:20 am | 4h 20m | Down (33%) | ESE 118° → E 87°, up to 63° |
| Sat 1 May | 8:59 pm – 5:19 am | 8h 20m | Up, 24% lit | ESE 117° → N 8°, up to 84° |
| Sun 2 May | 8:48 pm – 5:18 am | 8h 30m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 118° → N 2°, up to 84° |
| Mon 3 May | 8:47 pm – 5:17 am | 8h 30m | Up, 10% lit | ESE 118° → N 355°, up to 84° |
| Tue 4 May | 8:47 pm – 5:27 am | 8h 40m | Up, 4% lit | ESE 118° → N 10°, up to 84° |
| Wed 5 May | 8:36 pm – 5:26 am | 8h 50m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → N 3°, up to 84° |
| Thu 6 May | 8:35 pm – 5:25 am | 8h 50m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → N 357°, up to 84° |
| Fri 7 May | 8:34 pm – 5:24 am | 8h 50m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → N 350°, up to 84° |
| Sat 8 May | 8:23 pm – 5:23 am | 9h 00m | Down (6%) | ESE 119° → N 5°, up to 84° |
| Sun 9 May | 8:23 pm – 5:23 am | 9h 00m | Down (12%) | ESE 118° → N 358°, up to 84° |
| Mon 10 May | 8:22 pm – 5:32 am | 9h 10m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 118° → N 351°, up to 84° |
| Tue 11 May | 9:51 pm – 5:31 am | 7h 40m | Down (32%) | ESE 107° → N 6°, up to 84° |
| Wed 12 May | 11:10 pm – 5:30 am | 6h 20m | Down (43%) | E 98° → N 359°, up to 84° |
| Thu 13 May | 12:20 am – 5:30 am | 5h 10m | Down (55%) | E 88° → N 352°, up to 84° |
| Fri 14 May | 1:29 am – 5:29 am | 4h 00m | Down (66%) | ENE 70° → N 6°, up to 84° |
| Sat 15 May | 2:38 am – 5:28 am | 2h 50m | Down (77%) | NNW 339°, up to 84° |
| Sun 16 May | 3:48 am – 5:28 am | 1h 40m | Down (85%) | WNW 283°, up to 71° |
| Tue 25 May | 7:23 pm – 9:13 pm | 1h 50m | Down (76%) | ESE 118° → ESE 105°, up to 32° |
| Wed 26 May | 7:13 pm – 10:13 pm | 3h 00m | Down (68%) | ESE 118° → E 98°, up to 45° |
| Thu 27 May | 7:13 pm – 11:03 pm | 3h 50m | Down (59%) | ESE 118° → E 91°, up to 56° |
| Fri 28 May | 7:12 pm – 12:02 am | 4h 50m | Down (49%) | ESE 118° → E 80°, up to 69° |
| Sat 29 May | 7:02 pm – 1:02 am | 6h 00m | Down (39%) | ESE 118° → NE 50°, up to 81° |
| Sun 30 May | 7:02 pm – 2:02 am | 7h 00m | Down (30%) | ESE 118° → N 354°, up to 84° |
| Mon 31 May | 7:02 pm – 5:42 am | 10h 40m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 117° → N 7°, up to 84° |
| Tue 1 Jun | 6:51 pm – 5:41 am | 10h 50m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 118° → N 359°, up to 84° |
| Wed 2 Jun | 6:51 pm – 5:41 am | 10h 50m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 118° → N 351°, up to 84° |
| Thu 3 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:41 am | 11h 00m | Down (2%) | ESE 119° → N 5°, up to 84° |
| Fri 4 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:41 am | 11h 00m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → N 357°, up to 84° |
| Sat 5 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:41 am | 11h 00m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → N 10°, up to 84° |
| Sun 6 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:41 am | 11h 00m | Down (4%) | ESE 117° → N 2°, up to 84° |
| Mon 7 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:41 am | 11h 00m | Up, 10% lit | ESE 117° → N 354°, up to 84° |
| Tue 8 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:41 am | 11h 00m | Up, 19% lit | ESE 116° → N 6°, up to 84° |
| Wed 9 Jun | 10:00 pm – 5:40 am | 7h 40m | Down (29%) | E 93° → N 358°, up to 84° |
| Thu 10 Jun | 11:10 pm – 5:40 am | 6h 30m | Down (40%) | E 80° → N 350°, up to 84° |
| Fri 11 Jun | 12:20 am – 5:40 am | 5h 20m | Down (51%) | NE 39° → N 3°, up to 84° |
| Sat 12 Jun | 1:30 am – 5:40 am | 4h 10m | Down (63%) | WNW 294°, up to 77° |
| Sun 13 Jun | 2:41 am – 5:41 am | 3h 00m | Down (73%) | W 274°, up to 63° |
| Mon 14 Jun | 3:41 am – 5:41 am | 2h 00m | Down (82%) | W 265°, up to 49° |
| Tue 22 Jun | 6:42 pm – 8:02 pm | 1h 20m | Down (88%) | ESE 110° → E 101°, up to 40° |
| Wed 23 Jun | 6:42 pm – 9:02 pm | 2h 20m | Down (82%) | ESE 109° → E 93°, up to 53° |
| Thu 24 Jun | 6:42 pm – 9:52 pm | 3h 10m | Down (74%) | ESE 109° → E 85°, up to 64° |
| Fri 25 Jun | 6:43 pm – 10:53 pm | 4h 10m | Down (65%) | ESE 108° → ENE 67°, up to 77° |
| Sat 26 Jun | 6:43 pm – 11:53 pm | 5h 10m | Down (55%) | ESE 108° → N 0°, up to 84° |
| Sun 27 Jun | 6:43 pm – 12:53 am | 6h 10m | Down (45%) | ESE 107° → N 351°, up to 84° |
| Mon 28 Jun | 6:43 pm – 1:53 am | 7h 10m | Down (34%) | ESE 107° → N 3°, up to 84° |
| Tue 29 Jun | 6:44 pm – 3:04 am | 8h 20m | Down (25%) | ESE 106° → N 354°, up to 84° |
| Wed 30 Jun | 6:44 pm – 5:44 am | 11h 00m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 106° → N 6°, up to 84° |
| Thu 1 Jul | 6:45 pm – 5:45 am | 11h 00m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 105° → N 357°, up to 84° |
| Fri 2 Jul | 6:45 pm – 5:45 am | 11h 00m | Down (3%) | ESE 105° → N 9°, up to 84° |
| Sat 3 Jul | 6:45 pm – 5:45 am | 11h 00m | Down (0%) | ESE 104° → N 0°, up to 84° |
| Sun 4 Jul | 6:46 pm – 5:36 am | 10h 50m | Down (0%) | ESE 104° → N 351°, up to 84° |
| Mon 5 Jul | 6:46 pm – 5:36 am | 10h 50m | Down (3%) | ESE 103° → N 3°, up to 84° |
| Tue 6 Jul | 6:47 pm – 5:27 am | 10h 40m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 103° → N 354°, up to 84° |
| Wed 7 Jul | 6:47 pm – 5:27 am | 10h 40m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 102° → N 6°, up to 84° |
| Thu 8 Jul | 10:07 pm – 5:27 am | 7h 20m | Down (26%) | ENE 63° → N 356°, up to 84° |
| Fri 9 Jul | 11:18 pm – 5:18 am | 6h 00m | Down (36%) | NW 315°, up to 82° |
| Sat 10 Jul | 12:18 am – 5:18 am | 5h 00m | Down (48%) | W 281°, up to 70° |
| Sun 11 Jul | 1:29 am – 5:09 am | 3h 40m | Down (59%) | W 268°, up to 55° |
| Mon 12 Jul | 2:29 am – 5:09 am | 2h 40m | Down (69%) | W 260°, up to 42° |
| Tue 13 Jul | 3:40 am – 5:00 am | 1h 20m | Down (78%) | WSW 252°, up to 27° |
| Thu 22 Jul | 6:55 pm – 8:45 pm | 1h 50m | Down (86%) | E 95° → ENE 75°, up to 73° |
| Fri 23 Jul | 6:55 pm – 9:45 pm | 2h 50m | Down (79%) | E 94° → NNE 23°, up to 84° |
| Sat 24 Jul | 6:56 pm – 10:36 pm | 3h 40m | Down (70%) | E 94° → N 354°, up to 84° |
| Sun 25 Jul | 6:56 pm – 11:36 pm | 4h 40m | Down (60%) | E 93° → N 5°, up to 84° |
| Mon 26 Jul | 6:57 pm – 12:47 am | 5h 50m | Down (50%) | E 93° → N 356°, up to 84° |
| Tue 27 Jul | 6:57 pm – 1:47 am | 6h 50m | Down (39%) | E 92° → N 8°, up to 84° |
| Wed 28 Jul | 6:58 pm – 2:58 am | 8h 00m | Down (28%) | E 91° → N 358°, up to 84° |
| Thu 29 Jul | 6:59 pm – 3:59 am | 9h 00m | Down (19%) | E 91° → N 10°, up to 84° |
| Fri 30 Jul | 6:59 pm – 3:59 am | 9h 00m | Down (11%) | E 90° → N 0°, up to 84° |
| Sat 31 Jul | 7:00 pm – 3:50 am | 8h 50m | Down (4%) | E 89° → N 351°, up to 84° |
| Sun 1 Aug | 7:00 pm – 3:50 am | 8h 50m | Down (1%) | E 89° → N 2°, up to 84° |
| Mon 2 Aug | 7:01 pm – 3:41 am | 8h 40m | Down (0%) | E 88° → N 353°, up to 84° |
| Tue 3 Aug | 7:01 pm – 3:41 am | 8h 40m | Down (2%) | E 87° → N 4°, up to 84° |
| Wed 4 Aug | 7:02 pm – 3:32 am | 8h 30m | Up, 7% lit | E 87° → N 354°, up to 84° |
| Thu 5 Aug | 7:03 pm – 3:33 am | 8h 30m | Up, 14% lit | E 86° → N 6°, up to 84° |
| Fri 6 Aug | 7:03 pm – 3:33 am | 8h 30m | Up, 23% lit | E 85° → N 356°, up to 84° |
| Sat 7 Aug | 11:14 pm – 3:24 am | 4h 10m | Down (33%) | W 272°, up to 61° |
| Sun 8 Aug | 12:25 am – 3:25 am | 3h 00m | Down (43%) | W 262°, up to 45° |
| Mon 9 Aug | 1:25 am – 3:15 am | 1h 50m | Down (54%) | WSW 255°, up to 32° |
| Fri 20 Aug | 7:12 pm – 8:32 pm | 1h 20m | Down (90%) | ENE 67° → N 10°, up to 84° |
| Sat 21 Aug | 7:13 pm – 9:33 pm | 2h 20m | Down (83%) | ENE 64° → N 0°, up to 84° |
| Sun 22 Aug | 7:13 pm – 10:33 pm | 3h 20m | Down (75%) | ENE 62° → N 350°, up to 84° |
| Mon 23 Aug | 7:14 pm – 11:34 pm | 4h 20m | Down (65%) | ENE 59° → N 2°, up to 84° |
| Tue 24 Aug | 7:15 pm – 12:45 am | 5h 30m | Down (54%) | NE 55° → N 352°, up to 84° |
| Wed 25 Aug | 7:15 pm – 1:55 am | 6h 40m | Down (43%) | NE 51° → N 4°, up to 84° |
| Thu 26 Aug | 7:16 pm – 2:06 am | 6h 50m | Down (32%) | NE 46° → N 354°, up to 84° |
| Fri 27 Aug | 7:17 pm – 2:07 am | 6h 50m | Down (21%) | NE 40° → N 5°, up to 84° |
| Sat 28 Aug | 7:17 pm – 2:07 am | 6h 50m | Down (13%) | NE 34° → N 356°, up to 84° |
| Sun 29 Aug | 7:18 pm – 1:58 am | 6h 40m | Down (6%) | NNE 26° → N 7°, up to 84° |
| Mon 30 Aug | 7:19 pm – 1:59 am | 6h 40m | Down (2%) | NNE 18° → N 357°, up to 84° |
| Tue 31 Aug | 7:19 pm – 1:49 am | 6h 30m | Down (0%) | N 9°, up to 84° |
| Wed 1 Sep | 7:20 pm – 1:50 am | 6h 30m | Down (1%) | N 359°, up to 84° |
| Thu 2 Sep | 7:21 pm – 1:41 am | 6h 20m | Up, 5% lit | N 349°, up to 84° |
| Fri 3 Sep | 7:21 pm – 1:41 am | 6h 20m | Up, 11% lit | NNW 340°, up to 84° |
| Sat 4 Sep | 7:22 pm – 1:32 am | 6h 10m | Up, 19% lit | NNW 332°, up to 83° |
| Sun 5 Sep | 11:13 pm – 1:33 am | 2h 20m | Down (28%) | WSW 258°, up to 38° |
| Mon 6 Sep | 12:13 am – 1:23 am | 1h 10m | Down (38%) | WSW 251°, up to 25° |
| Sun 19 Sep | 7:33 pm – 9:23 pm | 1h 50m | Down (87%) | WNW 282°, up to 71° |
| Mon 20 Sep | 7:34 pm – 10:34 pm | 3h 00m | Down (79%) | W 281°, up to 70° |
| Tue 21 Sep | 7:34 pm – 11:34 pm | 4h 00m | Down (69%) | W 280°, up to 69° |
| Wed 22 Sep | 7:35 pm – 12:25 am | 4h 50m | Down (58%) | W 279°, up to 68° |
| Thu 23 Sep | 7:36 pm – 12:16 am | 4h 40m | Down (47%) | W 278°, up to 67° |
| Fri 24 Sep | 7:37 pm – 12:17 am | 4h 40m | Down (35%) | W 277°, up to 66° |
| Sat 25 Sep | 7:38 pm – 12:08 am | 4h 30m | Down (25%) | W 276°, up to 65° |
| Sun 26 Sep | 7:39 pm – 12:09 am | 4h 30m | Down (15%) | W 275°, up to 64° |
| Mon 27 Sep | 7:39 pm – 12:09 am | 4h 30m | Down (8%) | W 274°, up to 63° |
| Tue 28 Sep | 7:40 pm – 12:00 am | 4h 20m | Down (3%) | W 273°, up to 62° |
| Wed 29 Sep | 7:41 pm – 12:01 am | 4h 20m | Down (0%) | W 273°, up to 61° |
| Thu 30 Sep | 7:42 pm – 11:52 pm | 4h 10m | Down (1%) | W 272°, up to 60° |
| Fri 1 Oct | 7:43 pm – 11:53 pm | 4h 10m | Up, 3% lit | W 271°, up to 59° |
| Sat 2 Oct | 7:44 pm – 11:44 pm | 4h 00m | Up, 8% lit | W 270°, up to 58° |
| Sun 3 Oct | 8:45 pm – 12:45 am | 4h 00m | Up, 15% lit | W 270°, up to 57° |
| Mon 4 Oct | 8:46 pm – 12:36 am | 3h 50m | Up, 23% lit | W 269°, up to 56° |
| Mon 18 Oct | 9:00 pm – 10:20 pm | 1h 20m | Down (90%) | W 261°, up to 42° |
| Tue 19 Oct | 9:01 pm – 11:31 pm | 2h 30m | Down (83%) | W 260°, up to 41° |
| Wed 20 Oct | 9:02 pm – 11:32 pm | 2h 30m | Down (73%) | W 259°, up to 40° |
| Thu 21 Oct | 9:03 pm – 11:33 pm | 2h 30m | Down (63%) | W 259°, up to 39° |
| Fri 22 Oct | 9:05 pm – 11:25 pm | 2h 20m | Down (51%) | WSW 258°, up to 38° |
| Sat 23 Oct | 9:06 pm – 11:26 pm | 2h 20m | Down (39%) | WSW 258°, up to 37° |
| Sun 24 Oct | 9:07 pm – 11:17 pm | 2h 10m | Down (28%) | WSW 257°, up to 36° |
| Mon 25 Oct | 9:08 pm – 11:18 pm | 2h 10m | Down (18%) | WSW 257°, up to 35° |
| Tue 26 Oct | 9:09 pm – 11:09 pm | 2h 00m | Down (10%) | WSW 256°, up to 34° |
| Wed 27 Oct | 9:11 pm – 11:11 pm | 2h 00m | Down (4%) | WSW 255°, up to 33° |
| Thu 28 Oct | 9:12 pm – 11:02 pm | 1h 50m | Down (1%) | WSW 255°, up to 32° |
| Fri 29 Oct | 9:13 pm – 11:03 pm | 1h 50m | Down (0%) | WSW 254°, up to 31° |
| Sat 30 Oct | 9:14 pm – 10:54 pm | 1h 40m | Down (2%) | WSW 254°, up to 30° |
| Sun 31 Oct | 9:16 pm – 10:56 pm | 1h 40m | Up, 5% lit | WSW 253°, up to 29° |
| Mon 1 Nov | 9:17 pm – 10:47 pm | 1h 30m | Up, 11% lit | WSW 253°, up to 28° |
| Tue 2 Nov | 9:18 pm – 10:38 pm | 1h 20m | Up, 18% lit | WSW 252°, up to 27° |
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 | 127 | 45 | 11h 00m | June | 84° |
| Coober Pedy | 125 | 50 | 10h 50m | June | 90° |
| Port Lincoln | 127 | 45 | 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 2027?
June and May. In June, 20 nights from Adelaide have a dark core window of 3 hours or more, and the typical window is 7h 10m. 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 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 6:00 pm to 6:50 am Adelaide time. The dark part of that is the window shown for each night above.