When to see the Milky Way in Ottawa, Ontario
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, May 30 | 12:08 AM – 2:48 AM | 2h 40m | 16° |
| Mon, May 31 | 12:09 AM – 2:49 AM | 2h 40m | 16° |
| Wed, Jun 2 | 11:53 PM – 2:43 AM | 2h 50m | 16° |
| Thu, Jun 3 | 11:55 PM – 2:45 AM | 2h 50m | 16° |
| Fri, Jun 4 | 11:46 PM – 2:36 AM | 2h 50m | 16° |
| Sat, Jun 5 | 11:48 PM – 2:38 AM | 2h 50m | 16° |
| Sun, Jun 6 | 11:39 PM – 2:39 AM | 3h 00m | 16° |
| Mon, Jun 7 | 11:41 PM – 2:41 AM | 3h 00m | 16° |
| Tue, Jun 29 | 11:30 PM – 2:20 AM | 2h 50m | 16° |
| Wed, Jun 30 | 11:30 PM – 2:20 AM | 2h 50m | 16° |
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 | 6 of 31 | |
| April 2027 | 17 of 30 | |
| May 2027 | 21 of 31 | |
| June 2027 | 20 of 30 | |
| July 2027 | 19 of 31 | |
| August 2027 | 17 of 31 | |
| September 2027 | 5 of 30 | |
| October 2027 | 0 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.