The Milky Way will soon be visible in NC. Here’s how and when to see it
Stargazing North Carolinians are in luck this month – one of astronomy’s most dazzling phenomena will be visible soon.
During May 2025, the Milky Way, our home galaxy with a disk of stars spanning more than 100,000 light years, will be visible, according to LiveScience.com.
Here’s what to know about the unique solar occurrence happening this month.
When can you see the Milky Way in NC?
The best time to see the Milky Way will be from Tuesday, May 20 to Friday, May 30 between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., according to LiveScience.com. That’s the period between the last quarter moon and the new moon.
You can find the galaxy easily by looking for the Summer Triangle, “a shape formed by three bright stars,” that sits across the Milky Way, according to the site.
“If it’s above the horizon, you have a good chance of spotting it,” the site says. “Between May 20 and May 30, the Summer Triangle will be up in the east at midnight and higher in the southeast by 3 a.m. local time.”
How to see the Milky Way from NC
Most (80%) of Americans aren’t able to see the Milky Way, LiveScience.com says.
That’s because of light pollution, since the sky’s brightness increased between 7% and 10% per year between 2011 and 2023, according to a study published in Science.
If you want to see the Milky Way, you’ll need to be as far away from light pollution as possible, LiveScience.com says.
You can use a light pollution map to help find darker spots that are better for ideal stargazing.
May weather forecast in NC
The weather is expected to be mostly sunny during the day with highs in the low 80s on Tuesday, May 20 before cloudy skies come in that night and temperatures drop to the mid 60s in the Charlotte and Raleigh areas, according to the National Weather Service.
Conditions should be the same in the western North Carolina, with temperatures in the low 60s that night and a slight chance of rain.
This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 12:20 PM with the headline "The Milky Way will soon be visible in NC. Here’s how and when to see it."
