Milky Way Calendar Western Australia 2027
From Perth, the core is up after dark from 1 February to 2 November 2027. Best months: June and July. It climbs to 87° above the northern horizon.
In Broome the core peaks at 79°, 8° lower than in Perth, with 123 great nights to Perth's 125 across WA.
Times are Perth local time (AWST). 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 Perth
| Month | Core up (15th) | Typical dark window | Great nights | Good nights | Best dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Core not up after dark | ||||
| February | 2:00 am – 2:40 pm | 1h 50m | 0 | 13 | 14 Feb, 15 Feb, 16 Feb |
| March | 12:10 am – 12:50 pm | 4h 05m | 15 | 2 | 12 Mar, 14 Mar, 15 Mar |
| April | 10:10 pm – 10:50 am | 6h 00m | 16 | 3 | 10 Apr, 11 Apr, 12 Apr |
| May | 8:10 pm – 8:50 am | 7h 20m | 19 | 4 | 7 May, 10 May, 31 May |
| June | 6:10 pm – 6:50 am | 6h 40m | 20 | 2 | 4 Jun, 29 Jun, 30 Jun |
| July | 4:10 pm – 4:50 am | 6h 55m | 19 | 3 | 1 Jul, 2 Jul, 3 Jul |
| August | 2:10 pm – 2:50 am | 6h 30m | 18 | 2 | 1 Aug, 2 Aug, 3 Aug |
| September | 12:10 pm – 12:50 am | 4h 25m | 14 | 3 | 1 Sep, 2 Sep, 3 Sep |
| October | 10:10 am – 10:50 pm | 2h 15m | 4 | 13 | 1 Oct, 2 Oct, 3 Oct |
| November | 8:10 am – 8:50 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 Perth
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 | 2:50 am – 4:10 am | 1h 20m | Up, 21% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 110°, up to 26° |
| Tue 2 Feb | 2:49 am – 4:09 am | 1h 20m | Up, 14% lit | ESE 118° → ESE 109°, up to 26° |
| Wed 3 Feb | 2:48 am – 4:08 am | 1h 20m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 109°, up to 27° |
| Thu 4 Feb | 2:47 am – 4:07 am | 1h 20m | Up, 4% lit | ESE 117° → ESE 109°, up to 27° |
| Fri 5 Feb | 2:36 am – 4:16 am | 1h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → ESE 107°, up to 30° |
| Sat 6 Feb | 2:35 am – 4:15 am | 1h 40m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → ESE 107°, up to 31° |
| Sun 7 Feb | 2:33 am – 4:13 am | 1h 40m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → ESE 107°, up to 31° |
| Mon 8 Feb | 2:22 am – 4:12 am | 1h 50m | Down (4%) | ESE 118° → ESE 107°, up to 32° |
| Tue 9 Feb | 2:21 am – 4:11 am | 1h 50m | Down (9%) | ESE 118° → ESE 106°, up to 32° |
| Wed 10 Feb | 2:20 am – 4:20 am | 2h 00m | Down (15%) | ESE 117° → ESE 105°, up to 35° |
| Thu 11 Feb | 2:19 am – 4:19 am | 2h 00m | Down (24%) | ESE 117° → ESE 105°, up to 36° |
| Fri 12 Feb | 2:08 am – 4:18 am | 2h 10m | Down (34%) | ESE 118° → ESE 105°, up to 36° |
| Sat 13 Feb | 2:07 am – 4:17 am | 2h 10m | Down (45%) | ESE 118° → ESE 104°, up to 37° |
| Sun 14 Feb | 2:05 am – 4:25 am | 2h 20m | Down (56%) | ESE 117° → ESE 103°, up to 39° |
| Mon 15 Feb | 1:54 am – 4:24 am | 2h 30m | Down (67%) | ESE 118° → ESE 103°, up to 40° |
| Tue 16 Feb | 1:53 am – 4:23 am | 2h 30m | Down (78%) | ESE 118° → ESE 103°, up to 40° |
| Wed 17 Feb | 2:32 am – 4:22 am | 1h 50m | Down (87%) | ESE 113° → ESE 102°, up to 41° |
| Wed 3 Mar | 12:53 am – 4:43 am | 3h 50m | Up, 20% lit | ESE 118° → E 95°, up to 57° |
| Thu 4 Mar | 12:52 am – 4:42 am | 3h 50m | Up, 13% lit | ESE 118° → E 95°, up to 58° |
| Fri 5 Mar | 12:50 am – 4:40 am | 3h 50m | Up, 7% lit | ESE 117° → E 95°, up to 58° |
| Sat 6 Mar | 12:49 am – 4:39 am | 3h 50m | Down (3%) | ESE 117° → E 94°, up to 59° |
| Sun 7 Mar | 12:38 am – 4:38 am | 4h 00m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → E 94°, up to 59° |
| Mon 8 Mar | 12:36 am – 4:46 am | 4h 10m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → E 93°, up to 62° |
| Tue 9 Mar | 12:35 am – 4:45 am | 4h 10m | Down (2%) | ESE 117° → E 92°, up to 62° |
| Wed 10 Mar | 12:24 am – 4:44 am | 4h 20m | Down (5%) | ESE 118° → E 92°, up to 63° |
| Thu 11 Mar | 12:22 am – 4:42 am | 4h 20m | Down (11%) | ESE 118° → E 92°, up to 64° |
| Fri 12 Mar | 12:21 am – 4:51 am | 4h 30m | Down (19%) | ESE 117° → E 90°, up to 66° |
| Sat 13 Mar | 12:19 am – 4:49 am | 4h 30m | Down (29%) | ESE 117° → E 90°, up to 67° |
| Sun 14 Mar | 12:08 am – 4:48 am | 4h 40m | Down (40%) | ESE 118° → E 89°, up to 67° |
| Mon 15 Mar | 12:07 am – 4:47 am | 4h 40m | Down (51%) | ESE 118° → E 89°, up to 68° |
| Tue 16 Mar | 12:15 am – 4:45 am | 4h 30m | Down (63%) | ESE 116° → E 89°, up to 68° |
| Wed 17 Mar | 1:34 am – 4:54 am | 3h 20m | Down (74%) | ESE 108° → E 87°, up to 71° |
| Thu 18 Mar | 2:43 am – 4:53 am | 2h 10m | Down (84%) | E 101° → E 86°, up to 72° |
| Fri 19 Mar | 3:51 am – 4:51 am | 1h 00m | Down (91%) | E 94° → E 86°, up to 72° |
| Wed 31 Mar | 11:05 pm – 12:45 am | 1h 40m | Down (35%) | ESE 118° → ESE 107°, up to 30° |
| Thu 1 Apr | 11:04 pm – 1:34 am | 2h 30m | Down (26%) | ESE 117° → ESE 102°, up to 41° |
| Fri 2 Apr | 11:03 pm – 5:03 am | 6h 00m | Up, 18% lit | ESE 117° → NE 49°, up to 86° |
| Sat 3 Apr | 10:51 pm – 5:01 am | 6h 10m | Up, 11% lit | ESE 118° → NE 43°, up to 86° |
| Sun 4 Apr | 10:50 pm – 5:00 am | 6h 10m | Up, 6% lit | ESE 117° → NE 36°, up to 86° |
| Mon 5 Apr | 10:49 pm – 5:09 am | 6h 20m | Down (2%) | ESE 117° → NNW 347°, up to 87° |
| Tue 6 Apr | 10:38 pm – 5:08 am | 6h 30m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → NNE 18°, up to 87° |
| Wed 7 Apr | 10:37 pm – 5:07 am | 6h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → N 7°, up to 87° |
| Thu 8 Apr | 10:35 pm – 5:05 am | 6h 30m | Down (3%) | ESE 117° → N 355°, up to 87° |
| Fri 9 Apr | 10:34 pm – 5:04 am | 6h 30m | Down (8%) | ESE 117° → NNW 344°, up to 87° |
| Sat 10 Apr | 10:23 pm – 5:03 am | 6h 40m | Down (16%) | ESE 118° → NNE 14°, up to 87° |
| Sun 11 Apr | 10:22 pm – 5:12 am | 6h 50m | Down (25%) | ESE 118° → N 2°, up to 87° |
| Mon 12 Apr | 10:21 pm – 5:11 am | 6h 50m | Down (36%) | ESE 117° → N 351°, up to 87° |
| Tue 13 Apr | 11:09 pm – 5:09 am | 6h 00m | Down (47%) | ESE 112° → NNE 20°, up to 87° |
| Wed 14 Apr | 12:28 am – 5:08 am | 4h 40m | Down (59%) | ESE 104° → N 9°, up to 87° |
| Thu 15 Apr | 1:37 am – 5:07 am | 3h 30m | Down (71%) | E 97° → N 357°, up to 87° |
| Fri 16 Apr | 2:46 am – 5:16 am | 2h 30m | Down (81%) | E 88° → NNW 345°, up to 87° |
| Sat 17 Apr | 3:55 am – 5:15 am | 1h 20m | Down (89%) | ENE 62° → NNE 15°, up to 87° |
| Tue 27 Apr | 9:15 pm – 10:35 pm | 1h 20m | Down (60%) | ESE 118° → ESE 110°, up to 26° |
| Wed 28 Apr | 9:14 pm – 11:34 pm | 2h 20m | Down (51%) | ESE 118° → ESE 104°, up to 38° |
| Thu 29 Apr | 9:13 pm – 12:23 am | 3h 10m | Down (42%) | ESE 117° → E 99°, up to 50° |
| Fri 30 Apr | 9:13 pm – 1:23 am | 4h 10m | Down (32%) | ESE 117° → E 92°, up to 63° |
| Sat 1 May | 9:02 pm – 5:22 am | 8h 20m | Up, 24% lit | ESE 118° → N 8°, up to 87° |
| Sun 2 May | 9:01 pm – 5:21 am | 8h 20m | Up, 16% lit | ESE 117° → N 355°, up to 87° |
| Mon 3 May | 9:00 pm – 5:20 am | 8h 20m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 117° → NNW 342°, up to 87° |
| Tue 4 May | 8:49 pm – 5:19 am | 8h 30m | Down (4%) | ESE 118° → N 11°, up to 87° |
| Wed 5 May | 8:49 pm – 5:19 am | 8h 30m | Down (1%) | ESE 117° → N 357°, up to 87° |
| Thu 6 May | 8:48 pm – 5:28 am | 8h 40m | Down (0%) | ESE 117° → NNW 344°, up to 87° |
| Fri 7 May | 8:37 pm – 5:27 am | 8h 50m | Down (2%) | ESE 118° → NNE 13°, up to 87° |
| Sat 8 May | 8:36 pm – 5:26 am | 8h 50m | Down (6%) | ESE 118° → N 359°, up to 87° |
| Sun 9 May | 8:36 pm – 5:26 am | 8h 50m | Down (13%) | ESE 117° → NNW 345°, up to 87° |
| Mon 10 May | 8:25 pm – 5:25 am | 9h 00m | Up, 22% lit | ESE 118° → NNE 14°, up to 87° |
| Tue 11 May | 10:04 pm – 5:24 am | 7h 20m | Down (32%) | ESE 107° → N 0°, up to 87° |
| Wed 12 May | 11:24 pm – 5:24 am | 6h 00m | Down (44%) | E 99° → NNW 346°, up to 87° |
| Thu 13 May | 12:33 am – 5:23 am | 4h 50m | Down (56%) | E 92° → NNE 14°, up to 87° |
| Fri 14 May | 1:33 am – 5:33 am | 4h 00m | Down (67%) | E 81° → N 0°, up to 87° |
| Sat 15 May | 2:42 am – 5:32 am | 2h 50m | Down (77%) | NW 315°, up to 86° |
| Sun 16 May | 3:42 am – 5:32 am | 1h 50m | Down (86%) | W 275°, up to 73° |
| Tue 25 May | 7:28 pm – 9:18 pm | 1h 50m | Down (76%) | ESE 118° → ESE 106°, up to 32° |
| Wed 26 May | 7:28 pm – 10:18 pm | 2h 50m | Down (67%) | ESE 117° → E 100°, up to 45° |
| Thu 27 May | 7:17 pm – 11:17 pm | 4h 00m | Down (58%) | ESE 118° → E 94°, up to 59° |
| Fri 28 May | 7:17 pm – 12:07 am | 4h 50m | Down (48%) | ESE 118° → E 87°, up to 70° |
| Sat 29 May | 7:17 pm – 1:07 am | 5h 50m | Down (39%) | ESE 117° → ENE 65°, up to 84° |
| Sun 30 May | 7:07 pm – 2:07 am | 7h 00m | Down (29%) | ESE 118° → NNE 13°, up to 87° |
| Mon 31 May | 7:06 pm – 5:36 am | 10h 30m | Up, 20% lit | ESE 117° → N 357°, up to 87° |
| Tue 1 Jun | 7:06 pm – 5:36 am | 10h 30m | Up, 12% lit | ESE 117° → NNW 342°, up to 87° |
| Wed 2 Jun | 6:56 pm – 5:36 am | 10h 40m | Up, 6% lit | ESE 118° → N 8°, up to 87° |
| Thu 3 Jun | 6:56 pm – 5:36 am | 10h 40m | Down (2%) | ESE 117° → N 352°, up to 87° |
| Fri 4 Jun | 6:46 pm – 5:36 am | 10h 50m | Down (0%) | ESE 118° → NNE 18°, up to 87° |
| Sat 5 Jun | 6:46 pm – 5:36 am | 10h 50m | Down (1%) | ESE 118° → N 2°, up to 87° |
| Sun 6 Jun | 6:46 pm – 5:36 am | 10h 50m | Down (5%) | ESE 117° → NNW 345°, up to 87° |
| Mon 7 Jun | 6:46 pm – 5:36 am | 10h 50m | Up, 11% lit | ESE 117° → N 11°, up to 87° |
| Tue 8 Jun | 6:46 pm – 5:36 am | 10h 50m | Up, 19% lit | ESE 116° → N 355°, up to 87° |
| Wed 9 Jun | 10:16 pm – 5:36 am | 7h 20m | Down (29%) | E 95° → NNE 20°, up to 87° |
| Thu 10 Jun | 11:26 pm – 5:46 am | 6h 20m | Down (41%) | E 86° → N 4°, up to 87° |
| Fri 11 Jun | 12:26 am – 5:46 am | 5h 20m | Down (52%) | NE 52° → NNW 347°, up to 87° |
| Sat 12 Jun | 1:36 am – 5:46 am | 4h 10m | Down (63%) | W 280°, up to 77° |
| Sun 13 Jun | 2:36 am – 5:46 am | 3h 10m | Down (74%) | W 268°, up to 64° |
| Mon 14 Jun | 3:46 am – 5:46 am | 2h 00m | Down (82%) | W 261°, up to 48° |
| Tue 15 Jun | 4:46 am – 5:46 am | 1h 00m | Down (90%) | WSW 255°, up to 35° |
| Tue 22 Jun | 6:47 pm – 8:07 pm | 1h 20m | Down (88%) | ESE 110° → ESE 103°, up to 40° |
| Wed 23 Jun | 6:47 pm – 9:07 pm | 2h 20m | Down (81%) | ESE 110° → E 97°, up to 54° |
| Thu 24 Jun | 6:48 pm – 9:58 pm | 3h 10m | Down (73%) | ESE 110° → E 91°, up to 65° |
| Fri 25 Jun | 6:48 pm – 10:58 pm | 4h 10m | Down (64%) | ESE 109° → ENE 78°, up to 79° |
| Sat 26 Jun | 6:48 pm – 11:58 pm | 5h 10m | Down (54%) | ESE 109° → NNW 341°, up to 87° |
| Sun 27 Jun | 6:48 pm – 12:48 am | 6h 00m | Down (44%) | ESE 108° → N 5°, up to 87° |
| Mon 28 Jun | 6:49 pm – 1:49 am | 7h 00m | Down (34%) | ESE 108° → NNW 347°, up to 87° |
| Tue 29 Jun | 6:49 pm – 5:49 am | 11h 00m | Up, 24% lit | ESE 107° → NNE 11°, up to 87° |
| Wed 30 Jun | 6:49 pm – 5:49 am | 11h 00m | Up, 15% lit | ESE 107° → N 353°, up to 87° |
| Thu 1 Jul | 6:50 pm – 5:40 am | 10h 50m | Up, 8% lit | ESE 107° → NNE 17°, up to 87° |
| Fri 2 Jul | 6:50 pm – 5:40 am | 10h 50m | Down (3%) | ESE 106° → N 0°, up to 87° |
| Sat 3 Jul | 6:50 pm – 5:40 am | 10h 50m | Down (0%) | ESE 106° → NNW 342°, up to 87° |
| Sun 4 Jul | 6:51 pm – 5:31 am | 10h 40m | Down (0%) | ESE 105° → N 6°, up to 87° |
| Mon 5 Jul | 6:51 pm – 5:31 am | 10h 40m | Down (3%) | ESE 105° → NNW 347°, up to 87° |
| Tue 6 Jul | 6:52 pm – 5:22 am | 10h 30m | Up, 9% lit | ESE 105° → NNE 11°, up to 87° |
| Wed 7 Jul | 6:52 pm – 5:22 am | 10h 30m | Up, 17% lit | ESE 104° → N 353°, up to 87° |
| Thu 8 Jul | 10:12 pm – 5:12 am | 7h 00m | Down (26%) | ENE 76° → NNE 17°, up to 87° |
| Fri 9 Jul | 11:23 pm – 5:13 am | 5h 50m | Down (37%) | WNW 292°, up to 83° |
| Sat 10 Jul | 12:23 am – 5:03 am | 4h 40m | Down (48%) | W 272°, up to 69° |
| Sun 11 Jul | 1:24 am – 5:04 am | 3h 40m | Down (59%) | W 264°, up to 56° |
| Mon 12 Jul | 2:34 am – 5:04 am | 2h 30m | Down (69%) | WSW 257°, up to 40° |
| Tue 13 Jul | 3:34 am – 4:54 am | 1h 20m | Down (79%) | WSW 251°, up to 27° |
| Wed 21 Jul | 6:58 pm – 7:58 pm | 1h 00m | Down (92%) | E 98° → E 92°, up to 63° |
| Thu 22 Jul | 6:59 pm – 8:49 pm | 1h 50m | Down (86%) | E 98° → E 84°, up to 74° |
| Fri 23 Jul | 6:59 pm – 9:49 pm | 2h 50m | Down (78%) | E 98° → NNE 31°, up to 87° |
| Sat 24 Jul | 7:00 pm – 10:40 pm | 3h 40m | Down (69%) | E 97° → NNE 15°, up to 87° |
| Sun 25 Jul | 7:00 pm – 11:40 pm | 4h 40m | Down (59%) | E 97° → N 357°, up to 87° |
| Mon 26 Jul | 7:01 pm – 12:41 am | 5h 40m | Down (49%) | E 96° → NNE 20°, up to 87° |
| Tue 27 Jul | 7:01 pm – 1:51 am | 6h 50m | Down (38%) | E 96° → N 2°, up to 87° |
| Wed 28 Jul | 7:02 pm – 2:52 am | 7h 50m | Down (28%) | E 95° → NNW 343°, up to 87° |
| Thu 29 Jul | 7:02 pm – 3:52 am | 8h 50m | Down (18%) | E 95° → N 6°, up to 87° |
| Fri 30 Jul | 7:03 pm – 3:53 am | 8h 50m | Down (10%) | E 94° → NNW 348°, up to 87° |
| Sat 31 Jul | 7:03 pm – 3:43 am | 8h 40m | Down (4%) | E 94° → N 11°, up to 87° |
| Sun 1 Aug | 7:04 pm – 3:44 am | 8h 40m | Down (1%) | E 94° → N 352°, up to 87° |
| Mon 2 Aug | 7:04 pm – 3:34 am | 8h 30m | Down (0%) | E 93° → NNE 15°, up to 87° |
| Tue 3 Aug | 7:05 pm – 3:35 am | 8h 30m | Down (2%) | E 93° → N 357°, up to 87° |
| Wed 4 Aug | 7:05 pm – 3:25 am | 8h 20m | Up, 7% lit | E 92° → NNE 20°, up to 87° |
| Thu 5 Aug | 7:06 pm – 3:26 am | 8h 20m | Up, 14% lit | E 91° → N 1°, up to 87° |
| Fri 6 Aug | 7:06 pm – 3:26 am | 8h 20m | Up, 23% lit | E 91° → NNW 343°, up to 87° |
| Sat 7 Aug | 11:17 pm – 3:17 am | 4h 00m | Down (33%) | W 266°, up to 60° |
| Sun 8 Aug | 12:17 am – 3:17 am | 3h 00m | Down (44%) | W 260°, up to 46° |
| Mon 9 Aug | 1:18 am – 3:08 am | 1h 50m | Down (54%) | WSW 254°, up to 33° |
| Fri 20 Aug | 7:14 pm – 8:34 pm | 1h 20m | Down (90%) | E 79° → NNE 14°, up to 87° |
| Sat 21 Aug | 7:14 pm – 9:34 pm | 2h 20m | Down (83%) | ENE 78° → N 356°, up to 87° |
| Sun 22 Aug | 7:15 pm – 10:35 pm | 3h 20m | Down (74%) | ENE 76° → NNE 18°, up to 87° |
| Mon 23 Aug | 7:15 pm – 11:35 pm | 4h 20m | Down (64%) | ENE 74° → N 0°, up to 87° |
| Tue 24 Aug | 7:16 pm – 12:46 am | 5h 30m | Down (53%) | ENE 71° → NNW 342°, up to 87° |
| Wed 25 Aug | 7:17 pm – 1:47 am | 6h 30m | Down (42%) | ENE 68° → N 5°, up to 87° |
| Thu 26 Aug | 7:17 pm – 2:07 am | 6h 50m | Down (31%) | ENE 65° → NNW 346°, up to 87° |
| Fri 27 Aug | 7:18 pm – 1:58 am | 6h 40m | Down (21%) | ENE 60° → N 9°, up to 87° |
| Sat 28 Aug | 7:18 pm – 1:58 am | 6h 40m | Down (12%) | NE 53° → N 350°, up to 87° |
| Sun 29 Aug | 7:19 pm – 1:49 am | 6h 30m | Down (5%) | NE 45° → NNE 13°, up to 87° |
| Mon 30 Aug | 7:19 pm – 1:49 am | 6h 30m | Down (1%) | NNE 33° → N 354°, up to 87° |
| Tue 31 Aug | 7:20 pm – 1:40 am | 6h 20m | Down (0%) | NNE 17°, up to 87° |
| Wed 1 Sep | 7:20 pm – 1:40 am | 6h 20m | Down (1%) | N 359°, up to 87° |
| Thu 2 Sep | 7:21 pm – 1:31 am | 6h 10m | Up, 5% lit | NNW 340°, up to 87° |
| Fri 3 Sep | 7:22 pm – 1:32 am | 6h 10m | Up, 12% lit | NW 325°, up to 86° |
| Sat 4 Sep | 7:22 pm – 1:32 am | 6h 10m | Up, 20% lit | NW 314°, up to 86° |
| Sun 5 Sep | 11:13 pm – 1:23 am | 2h 10m | Down (29%) | WSW 256°, up to 37° |
| Mon 6 Sep | 12:13 am – 1:23 am | 1h 10m | Down (39%) | WSW 250°, up to 24° |
| Sun 19 Sep | 7:31 pm – 9:21 pm | 1h 50m | Down (87%) | W 274°, up to 72° |
| Mon 20 Sep | 7:32 pm – 10:22 pm | 2h 50m | Down (78%) | W 273°, up to 71° |
| Tue 21 Sep | 7:33 pm – 11:33 pm | 4h 00m | Down (69%) | W 273°, up to 70° |
| Wed 22 Sep | 7:33 pm – 12:13 am | 4h 40m | Down (58%) | W 272°, up to 69° |
| Thu 23 Sep | 7:34 pm – 12:14 am | 4h 40m | Down (46%) | W 271°, up to 68° |
| Fri 24 Sep | 7:35 pm – 12:05 am | 4h 30m | Down (35%) | W 271°, up to 67° |
| Sat 25 Sep | 7:35 pm – 12:05 am | 4h 30m | Down (24%) | W 270°, up to 66° |
| Sun 26 Sep | 7:36 pm – 12:06 am | 4h 30m | Down (15%) | W 269°, up to 65° |
| Mon 27 Sep | 7:37 pm – 11:57 pm | 4h 20m | Down (7%) | W 269°, up to 64° |
| Tue 28 Sep | 7:38 pm – 11:58 pm | 4h 20m | Down (2%) | W 268°, up to 63° |
| Wed 29 Sep | 7:38 pm – 11:48 pm | 4h 10m | Down (0%) | W 268°, up to 62° |
| Thu 30 Sep | 7:39 pm – 11:49 pm | 4h 10m | Down (1%) | W 267°, up to 61° |
| Fri 1 Oct | 7:40 pm – 11:40 pm | 4h 00m | Up, 4% lit | W 267°, up to 60° |
| Sat 2 Oct | 7:41 pm – 11:41 pm | 4h 00m | Up, 9% lit | W 266°, up to 59° |
| Sun 3 Oct | 7:41 pm – 11:31 pm | 3h 50m | Up, 16% lit | W 266°, up to 58° |
| Mon 4 Oct | 7:42 pm – 11:32 pm | 3h 50m | Up, 24% lit | W 265°, up to 57° |
| Mon 18 Oct | 7:54 pm – 9:14 pm | 1h 20m | Down (90%) | WSW 259°, up to 43° |
| Tue 19 Oct | 7:55 pm – 10:25 pm | 2h 30m | Down (82%) | WSW 258°, up to 42° |
| Wed 20 Oct | 7:56 pm – 10:26 pm | 2h 30m | Down (73%) | WSW 258°, up to 41° |
| Thu 21 Oct | 7:57 pm – 10:27 pm | 2h 30m | Down (62%) | WSW 257°, up to 40° |
| Fri 22 Oct | 7:58 pm – 10:18 pm | 2h 20m | Down (50%) | WSW 257°, up to 39° |
| Sat 23 Oct | 7:59 pm – 10:19 pm | 2h 20m | Down (38%) | WSW 256°, up to 38° |
| Sun 24 Oct | 8:00 pm – 10:10 pm | 2h 10m | Down (27%) | WSW 256°, up to 37° |
| Mon 25 Oct | 8:02 pm – 10:12 pm | 2h 10m | Down (18%) | WSW 255°, up to 36° |
| Tue 26 Oct | 8:03 pm – 10:03 pm | 2h 00m | Down (10%) | WSW 255°, up to 35° |
| Wed 27 Oct | 8:04 pm – 10:04 pm | 2h 00m | Down (4%) | WSW 254°, up to 34° |
| Thu 28 Oct | 8:05 pm – 9:55 pm | 1h 50m | Down (1%) | WSW 254°, up to 33° |
| Fri 29 Oct | 8:06 pm – 9:56 pm | 1h 50m | Down (0%) | WSW 253°, up to 32° |
| Sat 30 Oct | 8:07 pm – 9:47 pm | 1h 40m | Down (2%) | WSW 253°, up to 31° |
| Sun 31 Oct | 8:08 pm – 9:48 pm | 1h 40m | Up, 6% lit | WSW 252°, up to 30° |
| Mon 1 Nov | 8:09 pm – 9:39 pm | 1h 30m | Up, 11% lit | WSW 252°, up to 29° |
| Tue 2 Nov | 8:10 pm – 9:40 pm | 1h 30m | Up, 18% lit | WSW 251°, up to 28° |
Across Western Australia
The calendar above is worked out for Perth. The moon sets the season's first and last nights, so they barely move across WA. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perth | 125 | 47 | 11h 00m | June | 87° |
| Exmouth | 124 | 51 | 10h 30m | June | 83° |
| Broome | 123 | 50 | 10h 20m | June | 79° |
| Albany | 127 | 44 | 11h 00m | June | 84° |
Dark-sky sites in Western Australia
Perth'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.
- The Pinnacles, Nambung National Park, 164 km from Perth. Limestone spires in the dunes, two hours north of Perth.
- Wave Rock, Hyden, 291 km from Perth (Bortle 4). A granite wave in the wheatbelt, with flat land all round.
- Lake Ballard, 558 km from Perth. A salt lake in the Goldfields, scattered with steel statues.
- Karijini National Park, 1,086 km from Perth. Remote Pilbara gorges under a very dark sky.
Questions
When is the best time to see the Milky Way in Western Australia in 2027?
June and July. In June, 20 nights from Perth have a dark core window of 3 hours or more, and the typical window is 6h 40m. Plan around the new moon: the nights either side of full moon drop out.
How high does the Milky Way core get in Western Australia?
From Perth it climbs to 87° above the northern horizon. In Broome it reaches 79°. The higher the core, the less haze and light glow it shines through.
When does the Milky Way season start and end in Western 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 6:10 pm to 6:50 am Perth time. The dark part of that is the window shown for each night above.