Milky Way will shine over Arizona on July 4th. How to see the galaxy glow

Yahoo

18 hours ago

The last time the Milky Way dazzled Arizona skies was over Memorial Day weekend, and guess what? It's making a comeback just in time for the Fourth of July 2025.
No fireworks needed when you have billions of stars lighting up the night instead. The Milky Way is our home galaxy, a vast spiral of stars, dust and cosmic wonder stretching across the sky like a hazy, glowing river.
From late spring through summer, especially around Independence Day, its bright core becomes easier to spot after dark.
Here's how to see the Milky Way on the Fourth of July in Arizona.
And for the biggest astronomical events of 2025, including full moons, supermoons, eclipses, meteor showers and comets, check out our celestial events guide.
You can catch the Milky Way all summer long, but July 2025 is prime time, especially in Arizona. The Milky Way core, the galaxy's densest and brightest region, is visible every night through August.
In Arizona, the Milky Way rises in the southeast, arcs across the southern sky, and sets in the southwest.
For the clearest sightings, head to a dark sky area, away from city lights or fireworks. From parks to preserves, here's every official dark sky location in Arizona.
The best viewing window is typically between midnight and 5 a.m.
Yes. Many parts of the country — especially Arizona, Utah and Nevada — have high elevations, dry air and minimal light pollution, which make for ideal stargazing conditions.
Plus, the Milky Way's bright center passes over much of the continental U.S. during Milky Way season, so you get a good view of that glowing core.
The Milky Way is not visible every night, but it can be seen on clear, dark nights during certain times of the year, depending on your location, light pollution levels and the moon phase.
In Arizona and much of the Northern Hemisphere, the core of the Milky Way is best visible from February through October, especially around midnight to early morning. Outside of those months, the Milky Way is still present in the sky, but the galactic core dips below the horizon and is not as dramatic or bright.
Yes, you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye if you're away from city lights and it's a clear, moonless night.
What you'll see is not a bright, colorful band like in long-exposure photos, but rather a faint, milky streak stretching across the sky. That's actually the dense concentration of stars in our galaxy's core.
To spot the Milky Way look toward the southern sky between midnight and 5 a.m., when the galactic core rises.
The Milky Way appears as a faint, hazy band stretching across the sky, almost like a cloud made of stars. It arches from horizon to horizon and, with dark-adapted eyes, you may even see some texture or brighter patches.
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You can capture the Milky Way on smartphones such as iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel with a dedicated Night Mode or Astrophotography Mode.
Here are some tips and settings to take pictures of the Milky Way:
Use a tripod: Stability is key. Even slight movement ruins long exposures.
Night or Pro Mode: Select the longest exposure (10–30 seconds if available).
ISO: Set ISO between 800–1600 to brighten the stars.
Focus: Set to manual, 'infinity' focus
Aperture: Use the lowest f-stop if adjustable, f/1.8 is great if possible.
Timer: Set a 3- to 5-second delay to avoid camera shake when tapping the shutter.
Lastly, shoot in a dark-sky area on a moonless night. Don't expect DSLR-level clarity, but you'll likely still capture cool photos.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Milky Way season 2025: How to get the best views in Arizona