Milky Way season is here. How to see the cosmic show in Nashville on Fourth of July and beyond
Fireworks aren't the only thing illuminating the sky this month. July also presents the opportunity to catch a cosmic light show, when the Milky Way galaxy appears in the night sky.
According to NASA, Milky Way "Core Season " — the time of year when the galaxy is most visible — has arrived and will continue through August. The vibrant core, made up of billions of stars, is expected to shine brightly throughout the month, including over Fourth of July weekend, reported USA TODAY.
The galaxy will appear as a faint band of hazy light arching across the sky all night, wrote NASA, and the best part is, no special equipment is needed to see it, just a dark sky away from city lights.
"However you observe it, getting out under the Milky Way in June is a truly remarkable way to connect with the cosmos," wrote NASA.
Watch for these dates: July will bring a sighting of the 'Swift Planet', the Buck Moon and a meteor shower.
What is the Milky Way?
The Milky Way is our home galaxy, a vast spiral structure with a disk of stars stretching over 100,000 light-years across.
Earth resides along one of its spiral arms, roughly halfway between the center and the edge. According to NASA, it takes our solar system about 240 million years to complete a single orbit around the galaxy.
What does the Milky Way look like? Where does the galaxy get its name from?
From Earth, the Milky Way appears like a faint, milky band of light arcing across the entire sky, which is what it inspired its name. This feature marks the central disk of our home galaxy seen edge on, according to NASA.
Our galaxy is part of a larger cosmic neighborhood known as the Local Group, which includes more than 50 galaxies. These range from small dwarf galaxies containing a few billion stars to Andromeda, the Milky Way’s nearest large galactic neighbor.
Will the Milky Way be visible from Tennessee?
While the Milky Way is generally always visible from Earth, certain times of year are better for stargazers to catch a glimpse of the band of billions of stars comprising our galaxy.
Visibility also depends heavily on location, specifically latitude. The farther south you are, the longer the Milky Way season tends to last.
For example, southern states like Tennessee can enjoy prime views from March through September, according to the Milky Way photography website Capture the Atlas. In contrast, northern states at higher latitudes may only have clear sightings through late August.
How to spot the Milky Way in Tennessee
To see the Milky Way clearly, one must consider two key factors: darkness and moonlight.
The best viewing time is typically between midnight and 5 a.m. local time, during new moon nights in Milky Way season. You can check the sunrise and sunset times at your specific location using the website TimeAndDate.
However, visibility also depends on how dark the sky is, which means waiting until after astronomical twilight ends, not just sunset, wrote Capture the Atlas.
While a little moonlight can help illuminate the landscape, too much of it will make the Milky Way harder to see. For the best experience, aim for moonless nights in areas far from city lights.
Contributing: USA TODAY
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for the Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on X at @_leyvadiana
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Milky Way season: How to see our galaxy from Tennessee
