How to view the Milky Way in Moab

With over 80% of humanity living in an area too light polluted to view the band of the Milky Way, this renowned natural wonder finds its way on many bucket lists. Moab's internationally certified dark skies make it the perfect place to view this galactic phenomenon. Read on below for our expert advice on Milky Way observation in Moab.

Milky Way over Stargazing Moab (Credit: Stargazing Moab)

Timing

Summer is 'Milky Way Season', where the band and core of our galaxy is visible in the evening. From mid-June through September, the band is high in the sky for optimal viewing conditions. In the Spring, the Milky Way rises late in the evening, after 2am, and in Fall, it is getting low in the west and more difficult to see. By winter, the sun blocks our view towards the center of the galaxy, making it unobservable for most of the night.

What time of the year can you see the Milky Way?

Summer: Best evening Milky Way viewing

Fall: Visible early in the season and sinking low in the west towards the end of the season

Winter: Blocked by the sun and unobservable for most of the night

Spring: Visible late in the evening or early in the morning, often after 2am

Get out of town

Although Moab has been an certified dark sky community since 2024 and many stars are visible right from town, traveling just a little ways out of Moab will provide pristine dark skies and the best visibility.

Light Pollution map of the Moab Area (Credit: lightpollutionmap.info)

Many National and State parks in Utah are certified dark, including Dead Horse Point State Park, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, all surrounding the Moab area. Arches and Canyonlands are open all night, and an entrance fee is not required after 5pm. Any pull offs or trailheads along the national park roads will offer incredible stargazing views. For the more adventurous, an evening hike to Delicate Arch or through the Devil's Garden area of Arches provides not only dark sky stargazing but incredible foreground scenery.

The Moon

Will the moon effect your ability to see the Milky Way? The moon, when highly illuminated, will wash out your ability to see the fainter objects in the night sky, which includes the band of the Milky Way. If viewing the darkest sky possible and the galactic band is your priority, it is best to plan around the moon's phase.

The full moon will always rise as the sun sets. It is out all evening, making Milky Way viewing difficult. The moon will rise approximately 45 minutes later every evening thereafter. Two weeks after the full phase, the moon is directly in front of the sun, the new moon, or no moon. Many will plan around this new moon phase, however dark sky observation is possible not only on the new moon's date. Since the moon rises 45 minutes later every night after the full moon, by a few days after the full moon, it is rising late in the evening, and dark sky stargazing is possible in the evening hours.

When is the best time to view the Milky Way considering the moon phase?

Summer/Fall (evening): A few days after the full moon to a few days after the new moon

Spring (very late evening): At least 7 days after the full moon to 7 days past the new moon

Compare the Moonrise time for your stargazing adventure with the sunset time, and keep in mind that the sky takes over 1 hour after sunset to fully darken. Struggling to figure out if the Milky Way will be visible during your stay? Send us an email and we'd be happy to help you determine what is visible at what times and dates!

Stargazing Tour

One of the best ways to experience the dark skies of Moab is through a guided professional stargazing tour. Stargazing Moab offers a 2 hour experience with state of the art telescopes, high-powered laser pointers, oversized bean bag lougners, blankets and binoculars, hot beverages and stargazing and deep space photographer. Leave with a better understanding of the constellations in the night sky, our place in the Universe and a long exposure photo of you with the Milky Way band.

Summer - 'Milky Way Season' (Credit: Stargazing Moab)

Whether in town for stargazing or another adventure, getting out at night to experience the often overlooked wonder of a truly dark sky is not something to miss! Grab some dinner or plan a picnic, hike at sunset, and hangout for at least an hour and half to obsere on of the greatest natrual beautys Utah has to offer.