When to see the Milky Way in Chicago, Illinois
Thursday, October 29, 2026 · local time
The Milky Way core is not well placed tonight: it is below 10°, the sky isn't fully dark while it's up, or a bright Moon is in the sky.
Best nights in the coming months
| Night of | Core visible | Window | Max height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Jun 1 | 11:16 PM – 3:06 AM | 3h 50m | 19° |
| Wed, Jun 2 | 11:17 PM – 3:07 AM | 3h 50m | 19° |
| Thu, Jun 3 | 11:08 PM – 3:08 AM | 4h 00m | 19° |
| Fri, Jun 4 | 11:09 PM – 2:59 AM | 3h 50m | 19° |
| Sat, Jun 5 | 11:01 PM – 3:01 AM | 4h 00m | 19° |
| Sun, Jun 6 | 11:02 PM – 3:02 AM | 4h 00m | 19° |
| Mon, Jun 7 | 10:53 PM – 3:03 AM | 4h 10m | 19° |
| Tue, Jun 29 | 10:41 PM – 2:41 AM | 4h 00m | 19° |
| Wed, Jun 30 | 10:40 PM – 2:40 AM | 4h 00m | 19° |
| Thu, Jul 1 | 10:40 PM – 2:30 AM | 3h 50m | 19° |
Milky Way season
| October 2026 | 0 of 3 | |
| November 2026 | 0 of 30 | |
| December 2026 | 0 of 31 | |
| January 2027 | 0 of 31 | |
| February 2027 | 0 of 28 | |
| March 2027 | 17 of 31 | |
| April 2027 | 19 of 30 | |
| May 2027 | 23 of 31 | |
| June 2027 | 22 of 30 | |
| July 2027 | 20 of 31 | |
| August 2027 | 18 of 31 | |
| September 2027 | 16 of 30 | |
| October 2027 | 3 of 31 | |
| November 2027 | 0 of 30 | |
| December 2027 | 0 of 31 | |
| January 2028 | 0 of 3 |
Nights per month with at least 20 minutes of good viewing.
We count a night when the galactic centre is at least 10° above the horizon, the sky is fully dark (between astronomical dusk and dawn) and the Moon is below the horizon or less than 25% lit. City lights matter too: see the nearest dark area on the night sky page.