The Milky Way will be most visible until this date in the US – here’s how to see it

Stars in the sky and Milky Way captured near Death Valley in Panamint Springs of California (Picture: Getty Images)

Billions of stars that make up the Milky Way are at peak visibility to the naked eye in the US – but not for long.

The large spiral system comprised of about 100 billion stars is easiest to see from midlatitudes of the Northern Hemisphere including the whole continental US, now more than any other time of the year.

Prime time for viewing the spectacular phenomenon stretches from the last quarter moon on May 20 through the new moon on May 30, according to Live Science.

Here is everything to know about catching a glimpse of the Milky Way Galaxy.

A view of Milky Way as the Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaked before dawn on May 6 at Point Reyes National Seashore in Inverness of Marin County, California (Picture: Getty Images)

What is the Milky Way?

The Milky Way is ‘dominated by just two arms wrapping off the ends of a central bar of stars’, according to NASA.

Its major arms contain the highest densities of young and old stars, while the minor arms are mostly made up of gas and star-forming pockets.

The Milky Way includes the Sun, and the Earth is within the galaxy.

Interstellar dust obscures much of the Milky Way from optical telescopes, but scientists have been able to decipher it using radio and infrared telescopes.

The best times to see the Milky Way depend largely on latitude (Picture: Daniel Zafra Portill)

When is Milky Way season?

Milky Way season runs from February to October.

While the galaxy can be visible in the night sky for about eight months out of the year, its bright core is easiest to spot in late May.

During Milky Way season, the Galactic Bulge or Galactic Center which is the most brilliant section of the galaxy, comes into view.

Several factors play into the chances of seeing the Milky Way, with the most important one being latitude.

Milky Way season is from February to October (Picture: Daniel Zafra Portill)

How can I see the Milky Way?

The best time to see the Milky Way is between midnight and 5am. The night of the new moon, which happened on May 26, was another ideal moment.

Even within the US, there are discrepancies in top times to witness the phenomenon. Most of the contiguous states are in higher latitudes andthe window there is from late March to late August, according to Capture the Atlas.

In the southern US states, the window is slightly larger, from late March to late September.

Due to differing latitudes, the UK has its own best time to see the Milky Way. The UK sits at a high latitude, and the best bet for galaxy gazing there is from mid-March to mid-May.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.