Milky Way Calendar Victoria 2027
From Melbourne, the core is up after dark from 1 February to 2 November 2027. Best months: June and May. It climbs to 81° above the northern horizon.
In Mildura the core peaks at 85°, 4° higher than in Melbourne, with 125 great nights to Melbourne's 127 across VIC.
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 | 1h 50m | 0 | 12 | 14 Feb, 15 Feb, 16 Feb |
| March | 1:00 am – 2:10 pm | 4h 10m | 15 | 2 | 13 Mar, 15 Mar, 16 Mar |
| April | 10:00 pm – 11:10 am | 6h 20m | 16 | 4 | 8 Apr, 11 Apr, 12 Apr |
| May | 8:00 pm – 9:10 am | 7h 40m | 20 | 3 | 8 May, 10 May, 31 May |
| June | 6:00 pm – 7:10 am | 7h 20m | 20 | 2 | 2 Jun, 3 Jun, 4 Jun |
| July | 4:00 pm – 5:10 am | 7h 30m | 19 | 4 | 1 Jul, 2 Jul, 3 Jul |
| August | 2:00 pm – 3:10 am | 6h 50m | 18 | 2 | 1 Aug, 2 Aug, 3 Aug |
| September | 11:50 am – 1:00 am | 4h 30m | 15 | 2 | 1 Sep, 2 Sep, 3 Sep |
| October | 11:00 am – 12:10 am | 2h 15m | 4 | 13 | 1 Oct, 2 Oct, 3 Oct |
| November | 8:50 am – 10:00 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 Melbourne
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 | 3:45 am – 4:45 am | 1h 00m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 110°, up to 22° |
| Tue 2 Feb | 3:34 am – 4:54 am | 1h 20m | Up, 14% lit | ESE 119° → ESE 109°, up to 25° |
| Wed 3 Feb | 3:32 am – 4:52 am | 1h 20m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 119° → ESE 108°, up to 25° |
| Thu 4 Feb | 3:31 am – 4:51 am | 1h 20m | Up, 4% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 108°, up to 26° |
| Fri 5 Feb | 3:30 am – 4:50 am | 1h 20m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → ESE 108°, up to 26° |
| Sat 6 Feb | 3:18 am – 4:58 am | 1h 40m | Down (0%) | ESE 119° → ESE 106°, up to 28° |
| Sun 7 Feb | 3:17 am – 4:57 am | 1h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 119° → ESE 106°, up to 29° |
| Mon 8 Feb | 3:15 am – 4:55 am | 1h 40m | Down (4%) | ESE 118° → ESE 106°, up to 29° |
| Tue 9 Feb | 3:14 am – 5:04 am | 1h 50m | Down (8%) | ESE 118° → ESE 104°, up to 32° |
| Wed 10 Feb | 3:02 am – 5:02 am | 2h 00m | Down (15%) | ESE 119° → ESE 104°, up to 32° |
| Thu 11 Feb | 3:01 am – 5:01 am | 2h 00m | Down (23%) | ESE 119° → ESE 103°, up to 33° |
| Fri 12 Feb | 2:59 am – 5:09 am | 2h 10m | Down (33%) | ESE 118° → ESE 102°, up to 35° |
| Sat 13 Feb | 2:58 am – 5:08 am | 2h 10m | Down (44%) | ESE 118° → ESE 102°, up to 36° |
| Sun 14 Feb | 2:46 am – 5:06 am | 2h 20m | Down (55%) | ESE 119° → ESE 101°, up to 36° |
| Mon 15 Feb | 2:45 am – 5:05 am | 2h 20m | Down (66%) | ESE 119° → E 101°, up to 36° |
| Tue 16 Feb | 2:43 am – 5:13 am | 2h 30m | Down (77%) | ESE 118° → E 99°, up to 39° |
| Wed 17 Feb | 3:12 am – 5:12 am | 2h 00m | Down (86%) | ESE 114° → E 99°, up to 39° |
| Wed 3 Mar | 1:49 am – 5:29 am | 3h 40m | Up, 20% lit | ESE 118° → E 89°, up to 54° |
| Thu 4 Mar | 1:37 am – 5:37 am | 4h 00m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 119° → E 87°, up to 56° |
| Fri 5 Mar | 1:35 am – 5:35 am | 4h 00m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 119° → E 87°, up to 56° |
| Sat 6 Mar | 1:34 am – 5:34 am | 4h 00m | Down (3%) | ESE 118° → E 86°, up to 57° |
| Sun 7 Mar | 1:32 am – 5:32 am | 4h 00m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → E 86°, up to 57° |
| Mon 8 Mar | 1:20 am – 5:40 am | 4h 20m | Down (0%) | ESE 119° → E 84°, up to 60° |
| Tue 9 Mar | 1:19 am – 5:39 am | 4h 20m | Down (2%) | ESE 119° → E 83°, up to 60° |
| Wed 10 Mar | 1:17 am – 5:37 am | 4h 20m | Down (5%) | ESE 118° → E 83°, up to 61° |
| Thu 11 Mar | 1:15 am – 5:45 am | 4h 30m | Down (11%) | ESE 118° → E 80°, up to 63° |
| Fri 12 Mar | 1:14 am – 5:44 am | 4h 30m | Down (19%) | ESE 118° → E 80°, up to 63° |
| Sat 13 Mar | 1:02 am – 5:42 am | 4h 40m | Down (28%) | ESE 119° → E 79°, up to 64° |
| Sun 14 Mar | 1:00 am – 5:40 am | 4h 40m | Down (39%) | ESE 119° → ENE 79°, up to 64° |
| Mon 15 Mar | 12:59 am – 5:49 am | 4h 50m | Down (50%) | ESE 118° → ENE 76°, up to 67° |
| Tue 16 Mar | 12:57 am – 5:47 am | 4h 50m | Down (62%) | ESE 118° → ENE 75°, up to 67° |
| Wed 17 Mar | 2:15 am – 5:45 am | 3h 30m | Down (73%) | ESE 107° → ENE 74°, up to 68° |
| Thu 18 Mar | 3:24 am – 5:44 am | 2h 20m | Down (83%) | E 98° → ENE 74°, up to 68° |
| Fri 19 Mar | 4:42 am – 5:52 am | 1h 10m | Down (91%) | E 86° → ENE 70°, up to 70° |
| Wed 31 Mar | 11:53 pm – 1:23 am | 1h 30m | Down (35%) | ESE 119° → ESE 107°, up to 27° |
| Thu 1 Apr | 11:51 pm – 2:21 am | 2h 30m | Down (27%) | ESE 118° → E 99°, up to 39° |
| Fri 2 Apr | 11:50 pm – 6:00 am | 6h 10m | Up, 19% lit | ESE 118° → NNE 29°, up to 80° |
| Sat 3 Apr | 11:38 pm – 5:08 am | 6h 30m | Up, 12% lit | ESE 119° → NNE 13°, up to 81° |
| Sun 4 Apr | 10:37 pm – 5:07 am | 6h 30m | Up, 6% lit | ESE 119° → N 10°, up to 81° |
| Mon 5 Apr | 10:35 pm – 5:05 am | 6h 30m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → N 6°, up to 81° |
| Tue 6 Apr | 10:34 pm – 5:04 am | 6h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Wed 7 Apr | 10:22 pm – 5:02 am | 6h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 119° → N 359°, up to 81° |
| Thu 8 Apr | 10:21 pm – 5:11 am | 6h 50m | Down (3%) | ESE 119° → N 356°, up to 81° |
| Fri 9 Apr | 10:20 pm – 5:10 am | 6h 50m | Down (8%) | ESE 118° → N 6°, up to 81° |
| Sat 10 Apr | 10:18 pm – 5:08 am | 6h 50m | Down (15%) | ESE 118° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Sun 11 Apr | 10:07 pm – 5:07 am | 7h 00m | Down (24%) | ESE 119° → N 359°, up to 81° |
| Mon 12 Apr | 10:05 pm – 5:15 am | 7h 10m | Down (35%) | ESE 119° → N 356°, up to 81° |
| Tue 13 Apr | 10:54 pm – 5:14 am | 6h 20m | Down (46%) | ESE 112° → N 6°, up to 81° |
| Wed 14 Apr | 12:13 am – 5:13 am | 5h 00m | Down (58%) | ESE 101° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Thu 15 Apr | 1:21 am – 5:11 am | 3h 50m | Down (70%) | E 92° → N 359°, up to 81° |
| Fri 16 Apr | 2:40 am – 5:20 am | 2h 40m | Down (80%) | ENE 76° → N 355°, up to 81° |
| Sat 17 Apr | 3:49 am – 5:19 am | 1h 30m | Down (88%) | NE 41° → N 6°, up to 81° |
| Tue 27 Apr | 9:07 pm – 10:17 pm | 1h 10m | Down (61%) | ESE 119° → ESE 110°, up to 23° |
| Wed 28 Apr | 9:06 pm – 11:16 pm | 2h 10m | Down (52%) | ESE 118° → ESE 102°, up to 35° |
| Thu 29 Apr | 9:04 pm – 12:14 am | 3h 10m | Down (42%) | ESE 118° → E 94°, up to 48° |
| Fri 30 Apr | 8:53 pm – 1:13 am | 4h 20m | Down (33%) | ESE 119° → E 83°, up to 60° |
| Sat 1 May | 8:52 pm – 5:22 am | 8h 30m | Up, 24% lit | ESE 118° → N 353°, up to 81° |
| Sun 2 May | 8:51 pm – 5:31 am | 8h 40m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 118° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Mon 3 May | 8:40 pm – 5:30 am | 8h 50m | Up, 10% lit | ESE 119° → N 359°, up to 81° |
| Tue 4 May | 8:39 pm – 5:29 am | 8h 50m | Up, 4% lit | ESE 119° → N 355°, up to 81° |
| Wed 5 May | 8:38 pm – 5:28 am | 8h 50m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → N 5°, up to 81° |
| Thu 6 May | 8:38 pm – 5:28 am | 8h 50m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → N 1°, up to 81° |
| Fri 7 May | 8:27 pm – 5:27 am | 9h 00m | Down (2%) | ESE 119° → N 356°, up to 81° |
| Sat 8 May | 8:26 pm – 5:36 am | 9h 10m | Down (6%) | ESE 118° → N 6°, up to 81° |
| Sun 9 May | 8:25 pm – 5:35 am | 9h 10m | Down (12%) | ESE 118° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Mon 10 May | 8:14 pm – 5:34 am | 9h 20m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 119° → N 357°, up to 81° |
| Tue 11 May | 9:53 pm – 5:33 am | 7h 40m | Down (31%) | ESE 106° → N 7°, up to 81° |
| Wed 12 May | 11:03 pm – 5:33 am | 6h 30m | Down (43%) | E 96° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Thu 13 May | 12:22 am – 5:32 am | 5h 10m | Down (55%) | E 83° → N 358°, up to 81° |
| Fri 14 May | 1:31 am – 5:41 am | 4h 10m | Down (66%) | ENE 62° → N 354°, up to 81° |
| Sat 15 May | 2:40 am – 5:40 am | 3h 00m | Down (76%) | N 349°, up to 81° |
| Sun 16 May | 3:50 am – 5:40 am | 1h 50m | Down (85%) | WNW 292°, up to 71° |
| Tue 25 May | 7:15 pm – 9:05 pm | 1h 50m | Down (76%) | ESE 119° → ESE 105°, up to 30° |
| Wed 26 May | 7:14 pm – 10:04 pm | 2h 50m | Down (68%) | ESE 118° → E 97°, up to 43° |
| Thu 27 May | 7:14 pm – 11:04 pm | 3h 50m | Down (59%) | ESE 118° → E 88°, up to 55° |
| Fri 28 May | 7:04 pm – 12:04 am | 5h 00m | Down (49%) | ESE 119° → ENE 74°, up to 68° |
| Sat 29 May | 7:03 pm – 1:03 am | 6h 00m | Down (39%) | ESE 118° → NE 42°, up to 79° |
| Sun 30 May | 7:03 pm – 2:03 am | 7h 00m | Down (30%) | ESE 118° → N 1°, up to 81° |
| Mon 31 May | 6:53 pm – 5:53 am | 11h 00m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 119° → N 356°, up to 81° |
| Tue 1 Jun | 6:52 pm – 5:52 am | 11h 00m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 118° → N 5°, up to 81° |
| Wed 2 Jun | 6:42 pm – 5:52 am | 11h 10m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 119° → N 0°, up to 81° |
| Thu 3 Jun | 6:42 pm – 5:52 am | 11h 10m | Down (2%) | ESE 119° → N 354°, up to 81° |
| Fri 4 Jun | 6:42 pm – 5:52 am | 11h 10m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Sat 5 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → N 358°, up to 81° |
| Sun 6 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Down (4%) | ESE 117° → N 7°, up to 81° |
| Mon 7 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Up, 10% lit | ESE 117° → N 1°, up to 81° |
| Tue 8 Jun | 6:41 pm – 5:51 am | 11h 10m | Up, 18% lit | ESE 116° → N 356°, up to 81° |
| Wed 9 Jun | 10:01 pm – 5:51 am | 7h 50m | Down (28%) | E 89° → N 5°, up to 81° |
| Thu 10 Jun | 11:11 pm – 5:51 am | 6h 40m | Down (40%) | ENE 74° → N 359°, up to 81° |
| Fri 11 Jun | 12:21 am – 5:51 am | 5h 30m | Down (51%) | NNE 33° → N 354°, up to 81° |
| Sat 12 Jun | 1:31 am – 5:51 am | 4h 20m | Down (62%) | NW 307°, up to 77° |
| Sun 13 Jun | 2:41 am – 5:51 am | 3h 10m | Down (73%) | W 280°, up to 63° |
| Mon 14 Jun | 3:51 am – 5:51 am | 2h 00m | Down (82%) | W 267°, up to 48° |
| Tue 22 Jun | 6:42 pm – 7:52 pm | 1h 10m | Down (88%) | ESE 109° → E 100°, up to 38° |
| Wed 23 Jun | 6:42 pm – 8:52 pm | 2h 10m | Down (82%) | ESE 108° → E 91°, up to 50° |
| Thu 24 Jun | 6:43 pm – 9:53 pm | 3h 10m | Down (74%) | ESE 108° → E 80°, up to 63° |
| Fri 25 Jun | 6:43 pm – 10:53 pm | 4h 10m | Down (65%) | ESE 107° → ENE 58°, up to 75° |
| Sat 26 Jun | 6:43 pm – 11:53 pm | 5h 10m | Down (55%) | ESE 107° → N 6°, up to 81° |
| Sun 27 Jun | 6:44 pm – 12:54 am | 6h 10m | Down (45%) | ESE 106° → N 0°, up to 81° |
| Mon 28 Jun | 6:44 pm – 2:04 am | 7h 20m | Down (35%) | ESE 106° → N 354°, up to 81° |
| Tue 29 Jun | 6:44 pm – 3:14 am | 8h 30m | Down (25%) | ESE 105° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Wed 30 Jun | 6:45 pm – 5:55 am | 11h 10m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 105° → N 356°, up to 81° |
| Thu 1 Jul | 6:45 pm – 5:55 am | 11h 10m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 104° → N 4°, up to 81° |
| Fri 2 Jul | 6:45 pm – 5:55 am | 11h 10m | Down (3%) | ESE 104° → N 358°, up to 81° |
| Sat 3 Jul | 6:46 pm – 5:56 am | 11h 10m | Down (0%) | ESE 103° → N 6°, up to 81° |
| Sun 4 Jul | 6:46 pm – 5:46 am | 11h 00m | Down (0%) | ESE 102° → N 0°, up to 81° |
| Mon 5 Jul | 6:47 pm – 5:47 am | 11h 00m | Down (3%) | ESE 102° → N 353°, up to 81° |
| Tue 6 Jul | 6:47 pm – 5:47 am | 11h 00m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 101° → N 1°, up to 81° |
| Wed 7 Jul | 6:48 pm – 5:38 am | 10h 50m | Up, 16% lit | E 101° → N 355°, up to 81° |
| Thu 8 Jul | 10:08 pm – 5:38 am | 7h 30m | Down (26%) | NE 55° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Fri 9 Jul | 11:19 pm – 5:29 am | 6h 10m | Down (36%) | NNW 331°, up to 80° |
| Sat 10 Jul | 12:29 am – 5:29 am | 5h 00m | Down (47%) | WNW 286°, up to 68° |
| Sun 11 Jul | 1:40 am – 5:20 am | 3h 40m | Down (58%) | W 271°, up to 53° |
| Mon 12 Jul | 2:40 am – 5:20 am | 2h 40m | Down (69%) | W 262°, up to 41° |
| Tue 13 Jul | 3:51 am – 5:21 am | 1h 30m | Down (78%) | WSW 253°, up to 26° |
| Thu 22 Jul | 6:56 pm – 8:46 pm | 1h 50m | Down (86%) | E 92° → ENE 68°, up to 71° |
| Fri 23 Jul | 6:57 pm – 9:47 pm | 2h 50m | Down (79%) | E 91° → NNE 20°, up to 81° |
| Sat 24 Jul | 6:57 pm – 10:47 pm | 3h 50m | Down (70%) | E 90° → N 0°, up to 81° |
| Sun 25 Jul | 6:58 pm – 11:48 pm | 4h 50m | Down (60%) | E 90° → N 354°, up to 81° |
| Mon 26 Jul | 6:58 pm – 12:58 am | 6h 00m | Down (50%) | E 89° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Tue 27 Jul | 6:59 pm – 1:59 am | 7h 00m | Down (39%) | E 88° → N 355°, up to 81° |
| Wed 28 Jul | 7:00 pm – 3:10 am | 8h 10m | Down (28%) | E 88° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Thu 29 Jul | 7:00 pm – 4:10 am | 9h 10m | Down (19%) | E 87° → N 356°, up to 81° |
| Fri 30 Jul | 7:01 pm – 4:11 am | 9h 10m | Down (11%) | E 86° → N 4°, up to 81° |
| Sat 31 Jul | 7:02 pm – 4:02 am | 9h 00m | Down (5%) | E 85° → N 357°, up to 81° |
| Sun 1 Aug | 7:02 pm – 4:02 am | 9h 00m | Down (1%) | E 84° → N 5°, up to 81° |
| Mon 2 Aug | 7:03 pm – 3:53 am | 8h 50m | Down (0%) | E 83° → N 358°, up to 81° |
| Tue 3 Aug | 7:04 pm – 3:54 am | 8h 50m | Down (2%) | E 83° → N 6°, up to 81° |
| Wed 4 Aug | 7:04 pm – 3:44 am | 8h 40m | Up, 7% lit | E 82° → N 359°, up to 81° |
| Thu 5 Aug | 7:05 pm – 3:45 am | 8h 40m | Up, 14% lit | E 81° → N 7°, up to 81° |
| Fri 6 Aug | 7:06 pm – 3:46 am | 8h 40m | Up, 23% lit | E 80° → N 1°, up to 81° |
| Sat 7 Aug | 11:17 pm – 3:37 am | 4h 20m | Down (32%) | W 277°, up to 61° |
| Sun 8 Aug | 12:27 am – 3:37 am | 3h 10m | Down (43%) | W 265°, up to 46° |
| Mon 9 Aug | 1:38 am – 3:28 am | 1h 50m | Down (54%) | WSW 256°, up to 31° |
| Fri 20 Aug | 7:16 pm – 8:36 pm | 1h 20m | Down (90%) | ENE 57° → N 353°, up to 81° |
| Sat 21 Aug | 7:17 pm – 9:37 pm | 2h 20m | Down (83%) | NE 54° → N 1°, up to 81° |
| Sun 22 Aug | 7:17 pm – 10:37 pm | 3h 20m | Down (75%) | NE 51° → N 354°, up to 81° |
| Mon 23 Aug | 7:18 pm – 11:48 pm | 4h 30m | Down (65%) | NE 47° → N 2°, up to 81° |
| Tue 24 Aug | 7:19 pm – 12:59 am | 5h 40m | Down (54%) | NE 44° → N 355°, up to 81° |
| Wed 25 Aug | 7:20 pm – 2:10 am | 6h 50m | Down (43%) | NE 39° → N 3°, up to 81° |
| Thu 26 Aug | 7:20 pm – 2:20 am | 7h 00m | Down (32%) | NE 35° → N 356°, up to 81° |
| Fri 27 Aug | 7:21 pm – 2:21 am | 7h 00m | Down (22%) | NNE 30° → N 4°, up to 81° |
| Sat 28 Aug | 7:22 pm – 2:12 am | 6h 50m | Down (13%) | NNE 24° → N 357°, up to 81° |
| Sun 29 Aug | 7:23 pm – 2:13 am | 6h 50m | Down (6%) | NNE 18° → N 4°, up to 81° |
| Mon 30 Aug | 7:24 pm – 2:04 am | 6h 40m | Down (2%) | NNE 12° → N 358°, up to 81° |
| Tue 31 Aug | 7:24 pm – 2:04 am | 6h 40m | Down (0%) | N 5°, up to 81° |
| Wed 1 Sep | 7:25 pm – 1:55 am | 6h 30m | Down (1%) | N 358°, up to 81° |
| Thu 2 Sep | 7:26 pm – 1:56 am | 6h 30m | Up, 5% lit | N 352°, up to 81° |
| Fri 3 Sep | 7:27 pm – 1:47 am | 6h 20m | Up, 11% lit | NNW 345°, up to 81° |
| Sat 4 Sep | 7:27 pm – 1:47 am | 6h 20m | Up, 19% lit | NNW 339°, up to 81° |
| Sun 5 Sep | 11:18 pm – 1:48 am | 2h 30m | Down (28%) | W 260°, up to 38° |
| Mon 6 Sep | 12:29 am – 1:39 am | 1h 10m | Down (38%) | WSW 251°, up to 24° |
| Sun 19 Sep | 7:40 pm – 9:30 pm | 1h 50m | Down (87%) | WNW 289°, up to 70° |
| Mon 20 Sep | 7:41 pm – 10:41 pm | 3h 00m | Down (79%) | WNW 288°, up to 69° |
| Tue 21 Sep | 7:42 pm – 11:52 pm | 4h 10m | Down (69%) | WNW 286°, up to 68° |
| Wed 22 Sep | 7:43 pm – 12:33 am | 4h 50m | Down (59%) | WNW 285°, up to 67° |
| Thu 23 Sep | 7:44 pm – 12:34 am | 4h 50m | Down (47%) | WNW 284°, up to 66° |
| Fri 24 Sep | 7:45 pm – 12:25 am | 4h 40m | Down (36%) | WNW 282°, up to 65° |
| Sat 25 Sep | 7:46 pm – 12:26 am | 4h 40m | Down (25%) | WNW 281°, up to 64° |
| Sun 26 Sep | 7:47 pm – 12:17 am | 4h 30m | Down (15%) | W 280°, up to 63° |
| Mon 27 Sep | 7:48 pm – 12:18 am | 4h 30m | Down (8%) | W 279°, up to 62° |
| Tue 28 Sep | 7:49 pm – 12:09 am | 4h 20m | Down (3%) | W 278°, up to 61° |
| Wed 29 Sep | 7:50 pm – 12:10 am | 4h 20m | Down (0%) | W 277°, up to 60° |
| Thu 30 Sep | 7:51 pm – 12:01 am | 4h 10m | Down (1%) | W 276°, up to 59° |
| Fri 1 Oct | 7:52 pm – 12:02 am | 4h 10m | Up, 3% lit | W 275°, up to 58° |
| Sat 2 Oct | 7:53 pm – 11:53 pm | 4h 00m | Up, 8% lit | W 274°, up to 57° |
| Sun 3 Oct | 8:54 pm – 12:54 am | 4h 00m | Up, 15% lit | W 273°, up to 56° |
| Mon 4 Oct | 8:55 pm – 12:45 am | 3h 50m | Up, 23% lit | W 273°, up to 55° |
| Mon 18 Oct | 9:12 pm – 10:32 pm | 1h 20m | Down (90%) | W 262°, up to 41° |
| Tue 19 Oct | 9:13 pm – 11:43 pm | 2h 30m | Down (83%) | W 262°, up to 40° |
| Wed 20 Oct | 9:15 pm – 11:45 pm | 2h 30m | Down (74%) | W 261°, up to 39° |
| Thu 21 Oct | 9:16 pm – 11:46 pm | 2h 30m | Down (63%) | W 260°, up to 38° |
| Fri 22 Oct | 9:17 pm – 11:37 pm | 2h 20m | Down (51%) | W 260°, up to 37° |
| Sat 23 Oct | 9:19 pm – 11:39 pm | 2h 20m | Down (39%) | W 259°, up to 36° |
| Sun 24 Oct | 9:20 pm – 11:30 pm | 2h 10m | Down (28%) | WSW 258°, up to 35° |
| Mon 25 Oct | 9:21 pm – 11:31 pm | 2h 10m | Down (18%) | WSW 258°, up to 34° |
| Tue 26 Oct | 9:23 pm – 11:23 pm | 2h 00m | Down (10%) | WSW 257°, up to 33° |
| Wed 27 Oct | 9:24 pm – 11:14 pm | 1h 50m | Down (4%) | WSW 256°, up to 32° |
| Thu 28 Oct | 9:25 pm – 11:15 pm | 1h 50m | Down (1%) | WSW 256°, up to 31° |
| Fri 29 Oct | 9:27 pm – 11:07 pm | 1h 40m | Down (0%) | WSW 255°, up to 30° |
| Sat 30 Oct | 9:28 pm – 11:08 pm | 1h 40m | Down (2%) | WSW 254°, up to 29° |
| Sun 31 Oct | 9:30 pm – 11:00 pm | 1h 30m | Up, 5% lit | WSW 254°, up to 28° |
| Mon 1 Nov | 9:31 pm – 11:01 pm | 1h 30m | Up, 11% lit | WSW 253°, up to 27° |
| Tue 2 Nov | 9:33 pm – 10:53 pm | 1h 20m | Up, 18% lit | WSW 252°, up to 26° |
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 | 127 | 45 | 11h 10m | June | 81° |
| Mildura | 125 | 50 | 11h 00m | June | 85° |
| Mallacoota | 127 | 45 | 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 2027?
June and May. In June, 20 nights from Melbourne have a dark core window of 3 hours or more, and the typical window is 7h 20m. 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 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 7:10 am Melbourne time. The dark part of that is the window shown for each night above.