Milky Way Calendar Victoria 2026
From Melbourne, the core is up after dark from 12 February to 6 November 2026. Best months: June and July. It climbs to 81° above the northern horizon.
In Mildura the core peaks at 85°, 4° higher than in Melbourne, with 131 great nights to Melbourne's 131 across VIC.
Next good night from Melbourne: Thursday 5 November, 9:38 pm – 10:48 pm (1h 10m).
Times are Melbourne local time (AEST, or AEDT 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 Melbourne
| Month | Core up (15th) | Typical dark window | Great nights | Good nights | Best dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Core not up after dark | ||||
| February | 2:50 am – 4:00 pm | 2h 40m | 5 | 11 | 23 Feb, 25 Feb, 26 Feb |
| March | 1:00 am – 2:10 pm | 5h 10m | 14 | 2 | 22 Mar, 23 Mar, 24 Mar |
| April | 9:50 pm – 11:10 am | 7h 10m | 15 | 2 | 19 Apr, 21 Apr, 22 Apr |
| May | 8:00 pm – 9:10 am | 7h 30m | 17 | 2 | 16 May, 19 May, 20 May |
| June | 6:00 pm – 7:10 am | 6h 55m | 18 | 4 | 11 Jun, 12 Jun, 13 Jun |
| July | 4:00 pm – 5:10 am | 6h 50m | 17 | 3 | 10 Jul, 11 Jul, 12 Jul |
| August | 2:00 pm – 3:10 am | 7h 15m | 16 | 3 | 8 Aug, 9 Aug, 10 Aug |
| September | 11:50 am – 1:00 am | 5h 40m | 14 | 2 | 4 Sep, 5 Sep, 6 Sep |
| October | 11:00 am – 12:10 am | 3h 20m | 15 | 3 | 1 Oct, 2 Oct, 3 Oct |
| November | 8:50 am – 10:00 pm | 1h 15m | 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 Melbourne
January 2026
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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 12 Feb | 2:59 am – 5:09 am | 2h 10m | Up, 23% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 102°, up to 35° |
| Fri 13 Feb | 2:58 am – 5:08 am | 2h 10m | Up, 15% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 101°, up to 36° |
| Sat 14 Feb | 2:46 am – 5:06 am | 2h 20m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 119° → E 101°, up to 36° |
| Sun 15 Feb | 2:44 am – 5:14 am | 2h 30m | Up, 4% lit | ESE 119° → E 100°, up to 38° |
| Mon 16 Feb | 2:43 am – 5:13 am | 2h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → E 99°, up to 39° |
| Tue 17 Feb | 2:41 am – 5:11 am | 2h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → E 99°, up to 39° |
| Wed 18 Feb | 2:30 am – 5:10 am | 2h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 119° → E 99°, up to 40° |
| Thu 19 Feb | 2:28 am – 5:18 am | 2h 50m | Down (5%) | ESE 119° → E 97°, up to 42° |
| Fri 20 Feb | 2:26 am – 5:16 am | 2h 50m | Down (11%) | ESE 118° → E 97°, up to 43° |
| Sat 21 Feb | 2:25 am – 5:15 am | 2h 50m | Down (19%) | ESE 118° → E 97°, up to 43° |
| Sun 22 Feb | 2:23 am – 5:23 am | 3h 00m | Down (29%) | ESE 118° → E 95°, up to 46° |
| Mon 23 Feb | 2:12 am – 5:22 am | 3h 10m | Down (40%) | ESE 119° → E 95°, up to 46° |
| Tue 24 Feb | 2:10 am – 5:20 am | 3h 10m | Down (52%) | ESE 119° → E 94°, up to 47° |
| Wed 25 Feb | 2:08 am – 5:28 am | 3h 20m | Down (63%) | ESE 118° → E 93°, up to 49° |
| Thu 26 Feb | 2:07 am – 5:27 am | 3h 20m | Down (74%) | ESE 118° → E 92°, up to 49° |
| Fri 27 Feb | 3:05 am – 5:25 am | 2h 20m | Down (84%) | ESE 110° → E 92°, up to 50° |
| Sat 28 Feb | 4:13 am – 5:23 am | 1h 10m | Down (91%) | E 101° → E 92°, up to 50° |
| Sat 14 Mar | 1:00 am – 5:40 am | 4h 40m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 118° → ENE 79°, up to 64° |
| Sun 15 Mar | 12:58 am – 5:48 am | 4h 50m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 118° → ENE 75°, up to 67° |
| Mon 16 Mar | 12:57 am – 5:47 am | 4h 50m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 118° → ENE 75°, up to 67° |
| Tue 17 Mar | 12:45 am – 5:45 am | 5h 00m | Down (3%) | ESE 119° → ENE 74°, up to 68° |
| Wed 18 Mar | 12:43 am – 5:53 am | 5h 10m | Down (0%) | ESE 119° → ENE 70°, up to 70° |
| Thu 19 Mar | 12:42 am – 5:52 am | 5h 10m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → ENE 70°, up to 70° |
| Fri 20 Mar | 12:40 am – 5:50 am | 5h 10m | Down (3%) | ESE 118° → ENE 69°, up to 71° |
| Sat 21 Mar | 12:28 am – 5:48 am | 5h 20m | Down (8%) | ESE 119° → ENE 68°, up to 71° |
| Sun 22 Mar | 12:27 am – 5:57 am | 5h 30m | Down (16%) | ESE 119° → ENE 63°, up to 73° |
| Mon 23 Mar | 12:25 am – 5:55 am | 5h 30m | Down (25%) | ESE 118° → ENE 62°, up to 74° |
| Tue 24 Mar | 12:24 am – 5:54 am | 5h 30m | Down (36%) | ESE 118° → ENE 61°, up to 74° |
| Wed 25 Mar | 12:22 am – 5:52 am | 5h 30m | Down (48%) | ESE 118° → ENE 59°, up to 75° |
| Thu 26 Mar | 12:50 am – 6:00 am | 5h 10m | Down (59%) | ESE 114° → NE 52°, up to 77° |
| Fri 27 Mar | 1:59 am – 5:59 am | 4h 00m | Down (70%) | ESE 104° → NE 51°, up to 77° |
| Sat 28 Mar | 3:17 am – 5:57 am | 2h 40m | Down (80%) | E 94° → NE 49°, up to 77° |
| Sun 29 Mar | 4:26 am – 5:56 am | 1h 30m | Down (88%) | E 82° → NE 47°, up to 78° |
| Fri 10 Apr | 10:18 pm – 11:28 pm | 1h 10m | Down (45%) | ESE 118° → ESE 109°, up to 24° |
| Sat 11 Apr | 10:06 pm – 12:36 am | 2h 30m | Down (36%) | ESE 119° → E 100°, up to 38° |
| Sun 12 Apr | 10:05 pm – 1:35 am | 3h 30m | Down (26%) | ESE 119° → E 91°, up to 50° |
| Mon 13 Apr | 10:04 pm – 5:14 am | 7h 10m | Up, 18% lit | ESE 118° → N 5°, up to 81° |
| Tue 14 Apr | 10:02 pm – 5:12 am | 7h 10m | Up, 10% lit | ESE 118° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Wed 15 Apr | 9:51 pm – 5:11 am | 7h 20m | Up, 5% lit | ESE 119° → N 358°, up to 81° |
| Thu 16 Apr | 9:50 pm – 5:20 am | 7h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 119° → N 354°, up to 81° |
| Fri 17 Apr | 9:48 pm – 5:18 am | 7h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → N 5°, up to 81° |
| Sat 18 Apr | 9:47 pm – 5:17 am | 7h 30m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → N 1°, up to 81° |
| Sun 19 Apr | 9:36 pm – 5:16 am | 7h 40m | Down (6%) | ESE 119° → N 357°, up to 81° |
| Mon 20 Apr | 9:35 pm – 5:15 am | 7h 40m | Down (13%) | ESE 118° → N 353°, up to 81° |
| Tue 21 Apr | 9:33 pm – 5:23 am | 7h 50m | Down (22%) | ESE 118° → N 4°, up to 81° |
| Wed 22 Apr | 9:32 pm – 5:22 am | 7h 50m | Down (32%) | ESE 118° → N 0°, up to 81° |
| Thu 23 Apr | 10:41 pm – 5:21 am | 6h 40m | Down (44%) | ESE 108° → N 356°, up to 81° |
| Fri 24 Apr | 12:00 am – 5:20 am | 5h 20m | Down (55%) | E 98° → N 6°, up to 81° |
| Sat 25 Apr | 1:09 am – 5:19 am | 4h 10m | Down (66%) | E 88° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Sun 26 Apr | 2:17 am – 5:27 am | 3h 10m | Down (76%) | ENE 71° → N 358°, up to 81° |
| Mon 27 Apr | 3:26 am – 5:26 am | 2h 00m | Down (85%) | NNE 22° → N 354°, up to 81° |
| Tue 28 Apr | 4:25 am – 5:25 am | 1h 00m | Down (91%) | NW 309°, up to 77° |
| Fri 8 May | 8:26 pm – 10:26 pm | 2h 00m | Down (62%) | ESE 118° → ESE 103°, up to 33° |
| Sat 9 May | 8:25 pm – 11:25 pm | 3h 00m | Down (52%) | ESE 118° → E 95°, up to 46° |
| Sun 10 May | 8:14 pm – 12:34 am | 4h 20m | Down (42%) | ESE 119° → E 83°, up to 60° |
| Mon 11 May | 8:13 pm – 1:33 am | 5h 20m | Down (31%) | ESE 118° → ENE 66°, up to 72° |
| Tue 12 May | 8:12 pm – 5:32 am | 9h 20m | Up, 22% lit | ESE 118° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Wed 13 May | 8:02 pm – 5:32 am | 9h 30m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 119° → N 357°, up to 81° |
| Thu 14 May | 8:01 pm – 5:41 am | 9h 40m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 118° → N 7°, up to 81° |
| Fri 15 May | 8:00 pm – 5:40 am | 9h 40m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Sat 16 May | 7:49 pm – 5:39 am | 9h 50m | Down (0%) | ESE 119° → N 357°, up to 81° |
| Sun 17 May | 7:49 pm – 5:39 am | 9h 50m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → N 7°, up to 81° |
| Mon 18 May | 7:48 pm – 5:38 am | 9h 50m | Down (5%) | ESE 118° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Tue 19 May | 7:38 pm – 5:38 am | 10h 00m | Down (11%) | ESE 119° → N 358°, up to 81° |
| Wed 20 May | 7:37 pm – 5:37 am | 10h 00m | Up, 19% lit | ESE 118° → N 7°, up to 81° |
| Thu 21 May | 9:37 pm – 5:47 am | 8h 10m | Down (29%) | ESE 103° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Fri 22 May | 10:56 pm – 5:46 am | 6h 50m | Down (40%) | E 92° → N 357°, up to 81° |
| Sat 23 May | 12:05 am – 5:45 am | 5h 40m | Down (51%) | ENE 78° → N 7°, up to 81° |
| Sun 24 May | 1:15 am – 5:45 am | 4h 30m | Down (62%) | NE 47° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Mon 25 May | 2:15 am – 5:45 am | 3h 30m | Down (72%) | NNW 330°, up to 80° |
| Tue 26 May | 3:14 am – 5:44 am | 2h 30m | Down (80%) | WNW 290°, up to 70° |
| Wed 27 May | 4:24 am – 5:44 am | 1h 20m | Down (88%) | W 273°, up to 56° |
| Thu 4 Jun | 6:42 pm – 8:12 pm | 1h 30m | Down (84%) | ESE 118° → ESE 106°, up to 28° |
| Fri 5 Jun | 6:41 pm – 9:11 pm | 2h 30m | Down (76%) | ESE 117° → E 98°, up to 40° |
| Sat 6 Jun | 6:41 pm – 10:21 pm | 3h 40m | Down (67%) | ESE 117° → E 88°, up to 55° |
| Sun 7 Jun | 6:41 pm – 11:21 pm | 4h 40m | Down (57%) | ESE 116° → ENE 75°, up to 67° |
| Mon 8 Jun | 6:41 pm – 12:31 am | 5h 50m | Down (47%) | ESE 116° → NNE 34°, up to 80° |
| Tue 9 Jun | 6:41 pm – 1:31 am | 6h 50m | Down (36%) | ESE 115° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Wed 10 Jun | 6:41 pm – 2:41 am | 8h 00m | Down (25%) | ESE 115° → N 358°, up to 81° |
| Thu 11 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 114° → N 6°, up to 81° |
| Fri 12 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 114° → N 1°, up to 81° |
| Sat 13 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Down (3%) | ESE 113° → N 355°, up to 81° |
| Sun 14 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Down (1%) | ESE 113° → N 4°, up to 81° |
| Mon 15 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Down (1%) | ESE 112° → N 358°, up to 81° |
| Tue 16 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Down (3%) | ESE 112° → N 7°, up to 81° |
| Wed 17 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 111° → N 1°, up to 81° |
| Thu 18 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 111° → N 355°, up to 81° |
| Fri 19 Jun | 9:52 pm – 5:52 am | 8h 00m | Down (25%) | E 84° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Sat 20 Jun | 10:52 pm – 5:52 am | 7h 00m | Down (36%) | ENE 67° → N 357°, up to 81° |
| Sun 21 Jun | 12:02 am – 5:52 am | 5h 50m | Down (46%) | N 6°, up to 81° |
| Mon 22 Jun | 1:02 am – 5:52 am | 4h 50m | Down (57%) | WNW 301°, up to 75° |
| Tue 23 Jun | 2:12 am – 5:52 am | 3h 40m | Down (67%) | W 277°, up to 61° |
| Wed 24 Jun | 3:13 am – 5:53 am | 2h 40m | Down (76%) | W 267°, up to 48° |
| Thu 25 Jun | 4:13 am – 5:53 am | 1h 40m | Down (83%) | WSW 258°, up to 35° |
| Fri 3 Jul | 6:46 pm – 8:06 pm | 1h 20m | Down (88%) | ESE 103° → E 92°, up to 49° |
| Sat 4 Jul | 6:46 pm – 9:06 pm | 2h 20m | Down (81%) | ESE 102° → E 81°, up to 62° |
| Sun 5 Jul | 6:47 pm – 10:17 pm | 3h 30m | Down (72%) | ESE 102° → NE 56°, up to 76° |
| Mon 6 Jul | 6:47 pm – 11:17 pm | 4h 30m | Down (62%) | ESE 101° → N 0°, up to 81° |
| Tue 7 Jul | 6:48 pm – 12:28 am | 5h 40m | Down (51%) | E 101° → N 354°, up to 81° |
| Wed 8 Jul | 6:48 pm – 1:38 am | 6h 50m | Down (40%) | E 100° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Thu 9 Jul | 6:49 pm – 2:49 am | 8h 00m | Down (29%) | E 100° → N 355°, up to 81° |
| Fri 10 Jul | 6:49 pm – 5:29 am | 10h 40m | Up, 19% lit | E 99° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Sat 11 Jul | 6:50 pm – 5:20 am | 10h 30m | Down (10%) | E 98° → N 357°, up to 81° |
| Sun 12 Jul | 6:50 pm – 5:20 am | 10h 30m | Down (4%) | E 98° → N 5°, up to 81° |
| Mon 13 Jul | 6:51 pm – 5:11 am | 10h 20m | Down (1%) | E 97° → N 358°, up to 81° |
| Tue 14 Jul | 6:51 pm – 5:11 am | 10h 20m | Down (0%) | E 97° → N 6°, up to 81° |
| Wed 15 Jul | 6:52 pm – 5:12 am | 10h 20m | Down (2%) | E 96° → N 0°, up to 81° |
| Thu 16 Jul | 6:52 pm – 5:02 am | 10h 10m | Up, 7% lit | E 95° → N 353°, up to 81° |
| Fri 17 Jul | 6:53 pm – 5:03 am | 10h 10m | Up, 13% lit | E 95° → N 1°, up to 81° |
| Sat 18 Jul | 6:54 pm – 4:54 am | 10h 00m | Up, 22% lit | E 94° → N 355°, up to 81° |
| Sun 19 Jul | 10:54 pm – 4:54 am | 6h 00m | Down (31%) | NW 315°, up to 78° |
| Mon 20 Jul | 11:55 pm – 4:45 am | 4h 50m | Down (41%) | WNW 285°, up to 67° |
| Tue 21 Jul | 1:05 am – 4:45 am | 3h 40m | Down (51%) | W 270°, up to 52° |
| Wed 22 Jul | 2:06 am – 4:36 am | 2h 30m | Down (61%) | W 261°, up to 40° |
| Thu 23 Jul | 3:07 am – 4:37 am | 1h 30m | Down (70%) | WSW 253°, up to 27° |
| Sat 1 Aug | 7:03 pm – 8:03 pm | 1h 00m | Down (91%) | E 84° → ENE 69°, up to 71° |
| Sun 2 Aug | 7:03 pm – 9:03 pm | 2h 00m | Down (85%) | E 83° → NNE 24°, up to 80° |
| Mon 3 Aug | 7:04 pm – 10:14 pm | 3h 10m | Down (76%) | E 82° → N 4°, up to 81° |
| Tue 4 Aug | 7:05 pm – 11:25 pm | 4h 20m | Down (66%) | E 81° → N 358°, up to 81° |
| Wed 5 Aug | 7:05 pm – 12:35 am | 5h 30m | Down (55%) | E 80° → N 6°, up to 81° |
| Thu 6 Aug | 7:06 pm – 1:46 am | 6h 40m | Down (43%) | E 79° → N 359°, up to 81° |
| Fri 7 Aug | 7:07 pm – 3:07 am | 8h 00m | Down (32%) | ENE 78° → N 7°, up to 81° |
| Sat 8 Aug | 7:07 pm – 3:37 am | 8h 30m | Down (21%) | ENE 77° → N 0°, up to 81° |
| Sun 9 Aug | 7:08 pm – 3:28 am | 8h 20m | Down (12%) | ENE 76° → N 353°, up to 81° |
| Mon 10 Aug | 7:09 pm – 3:29 am | 8h 20m | Down (6%) | ENE 75° → N 1°, up to 81° |
| Tue 11 Aug | 7:10 pm – 3:20 am | 8h 10m | Down (2%) | ENE 73° → N 354°, up to 81° |
| Wed 12 Aug | 7:10 pm – 3:20 am | 8h 10m | Down (0%) | ENE 72° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Thu 13 Aug | 7:11 pm – 3:11 am | 8h 00m | Down (1%) | ENE 70° → N 355°, up to 81° |
| Fri 14 Aug | 7:12 pm – 3:12 am | 8h 00m | Up, 5% lit | ENE 69° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Sat 15 Aug | 7:12 pm – 3:02 am | 7h 50m | Up, 11% lit | ENE 67° → N 356°, up to 81° |
| Sun 16 Aug | 7:13 pm – 3:03 am | 7h 50m | Up, 18% lit | ENE 65° → N 4°, up to 81° |
| Mon 17 Aug | 10:54 pm – 2:54 am | 4h 00m | Down (26%) | W 274°, up to 57° |
| Tue 18 Aug | 11:55 pm – 2:55 am | 3h 00m | Down (36%) | W 264°, up to 44° |
| Wed 19 Aug | 12:55 am – 2:45 am | 1h 50m | Down (45%) | WSW 256°, up to 32° |
| Mon 31 Aug | 7:24 pm – 9:04 pm | 1h 40m | Down (88%) | N 4°, up to 81° |
| Tue 1 Sep | 7:25 pm – 10:15 pm | 2h 50m | Down (79%) | N 357°, up to 81° |
| Wed 2 Sep | 7:26 pm – 11:26 pm | 4h 00m | Down (69%) | N 350°, up to 81° |
| Thu 3 Sep | 7:27 pm – 12:47 am | 5h 20m | Down (58%) | NNW 344°, up to 81° |
| Fri 4 Sep | 7:28 pm – 1:48 am | 6h 20m | Down (46%) | NNW 337°, up to 81° |
| Sat 5 Sep | 7:29 pm – 1:39 am | 6h 10m | Down (35%) | NNW 332°, up to 80° |
| Sun 6 Sep | 7:29 pm – 1:39 am | 6h 10m | Down (24%) | NNW 327°, up to 80° |
| Mon 7 Sep | 7:30 pm – 1:30 am | 6h 00m | Down (15%) | NW 322°, up to 79° |
| Tue 8 Sep | 7:31 pm – 1:31 am | 6h 00m | Down (7%) | NW 317°, up to 79° |
| Wed 9 Sep | 7:32 pm – 1:22 am | 5h 50m | Down (3%) | NW 313°, up to 78° |
| Thu 10 Sep | 7:33 pm – 1:23 am | 5h 50m | Down (0%) | NW 310°, up to 77° |
| Fri 11 Sep | 7:34 pm – 1:24 am | 5h 50m | Down (0%) | NW 307°, up to 76° |
| Sat 12 Sep | 7:34 pm – 1:14 am | 5h 40m | Down (3%) | WNW 304°, up to 76° |
| Sun 13 Sep | 7:35 pm – 1:15 am | 5h 40m | Up, 7% lit | WNW 301°, up to 75° |
| Mon 14 Sep | 7:36 pm – 1:06 am | 5h 30m | Up, 14% lit | WNW 299°, up to 74° |
| Tue 15 Sep | 7:37 pm – 1:07 am | 5h 30m | Up, 21% lit | WNW 296°, up to 73° |
| Wed 16 Sep | 11:48 pm – 12:58 am | 1h 10m | Down (30%) | WSW 251°, up to 24° |
| Tue 29 Sep | 7:50 pm – 9:10 pm | 1h 20m | Down (90%) | W 277°, up to 60° |
| Wed 30 Sep | 7:51 pm – 10:31 pm | 2h 40m | Down (82%) | W 276°, up to 59° |
| Thu 1 Oct | 7:52 pm – 11:42 pm | 3h 50m | Down (73%) | W 275°, up to 58° |
| Fri 2 Oct | 7:53 pm – 11:53 pm | 4h 00m | Down (62%) | W 274°, up to 57° |
| Sat 3 Oct | 7:55 pm – 11:55 pm | 4h 00m | Down (50%) | W 273°, up to 56° |
| Sun 4 Oct | 8:56 pm – 12:46 am | 3h 50m | Down (38%) | W 272°, up to 55° |
| Mon 5 Oct | 8:57 pm – 12:47 am | 3h 50m | Down (27%) | W 272°, up to 54° |
| Tue 6 Oct | 8:58 pm – 12:38 am | 3h 40m | Down (18%) | W 271°, up to 53° |
| Wed 7 Oct | 8:59 pm – 12:39 am | 3h 40m | Down (10%) | W 270°, up to 52° |
| Thu 8 Oct | 9:00 pm – 12:30 am | 3h 30m | Down (4%) | W 269°, up to 51° |
| Fri 9 Oct | 9:01 pm – 12:31 am | 3h 30m | Down (1%) | W 268°, up to 50° |
| Sat 10 Oct | 9:02 pm – 12:22 am | 3h 20m | Down (0%) | W 268°, up to 49° |
| Sun 11 Oct | 9:04 pm – 12:24 am | 3h 20m | Down (1%) | W 267°, up to 48° |
| Mon 12 Oct | 9:05 pm – 12:15 am | 3h 10m | Up, 5% lit | W 266°, up to 47° |
| Tue 13 Oct | 9:06 pm – 12:16 am | 3h 10m | Up, 9% lit | W 266°, up to 46° |
| Wed 14 Oct | 9:07 pm – 12:07 am | 3h 00m | Up, 16% lit | W 265°, up to 45° |
| Thu 15 Oct | 9:08 pm – 12:08 am | 3h 00m | Up, 23% lit | W 264°, up to 44° |
| Wed 28 Oct | 9:26 pm – 10:26 pm | 1h 00m | Down (93%) | WSW 255°, up to 31° |
| Thu 29 Oct | 9:27 pm – 11:07 pm | 1h 40m | Down (86%) | WSW 255°, up to 30° |
| Fri 30 Oct | 9:29 pm – 11:09 pm | 1h 40m | Down (76%) | WSW 254°, up to 29° |
| Sat 31 Oct | 9:30 pm – 11:00 pm | 1h 30m | Down (66%) | WSW 253°, up to 28° |
| Sun 1 Nov | 9:32 pm – 11:02 pm | 1h 30m | Down (54%) | WSW 253°, up to 27° |
| Mon 2 Nov | 9:33 pm – 10:53 pm | 1h 20m | Down (43%) | WSW 252°, up to 26° |
| Tue 3 Nov | 9:35 pm – 10:55 pm | 1h 20m | Down (31%) | WSW 251°, up to 25° |
| Wed 4 Nov | 9:36 pm – 10:46 pm | 1h 10m | Down (22%) | WSW 251°, up to 24° |
| Thu 5 Nov | 9:38 pm – 10:48 pm | 1h 10m | Down (13%) | WSW 250°, up to 23° |
| Fri 6 Nov | 9:39 pm – 10:39 pm | 1h 00m | Down (7%) | WSW 249°, up to 22° |
Across Victoria
The calendar above is worked out for Melbourne. The moon sets the season's first and last nights, so they barely move across VIC. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | 131 | 33 | 11h 10m | June | 81° |
| Mildura | 131 | 33 | 11h 00m | June | 85° |
| Mallacoota | 131 | 33 | 11h 10m | June | 81° |
Dark-sky sites in Victoria
Melbourne'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.
- Lake Tyrrell, 334 km from Melbourne. A salt lake near Sea Lake, known for Milky Way reflections after rain.
- Grampians (Gariwerd), 228 km from Melbourne (Bortle 4). Sandstone ranges with dark farmland and lakes to the north and west.
- Cape Otway, 172 km from Melbourne. A lighthouse and wild coast at the end of the Great Ocean Road.
- Wilsons Promontory, 180 km from Melbourne. The southern tip of the mainland: granite coves and no towns nearby.
Questions
When is the best time to see the Milky Way in Victoria in 2026?
June and July. In June, 18 nights from Melbourne 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 Victoria?
From Melbourne it climbs to 81° above the northern horizon. In Mildura it reaches 85°. The higher the core, the less haze and light glow it shines through.
When does the Milky Way season start and end in Victoria?
In 2026 the first night with the core up in a dark sky is 12 February, and the last is 6 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 7:10 am Melbourne time. The dark part of that is the window shown for each night above.