If you've not seen the Milky Way this year from the Northern Hemisphere, it's time to make a plan. August's dark sky window opens around Aug. 6, when the moon begins to rise late at night as a waning crescent, meaning dark moonless skies for about 10 nights. That's when to see the Milky Way (and if you can time it for Aug. 12/13's Perseid meteor shower peak, all the better).
Five things are required to successfully see the Milky Way:
- the correct time of year (The brightest part is visible March-October)
- the correct moon phase (last-quarter moon through slim crescent moon)
- a dark sky away from light pollution
- dark-adapted eyes (stand in total darkness for 25 minutes)
- an idea of what you're going to see
The best way to dark-adapt your eyes is to start stargazing. Look south and begin picking out stars you know, paying special attention to the Summer Triangle. These three stars — Vega, Den...
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