View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jeremy Likness in Prineville, Oregon, captured the Milky Way on April 18, 2026. Jeremy wrote: “It dropped into the 30s the night I photographed this. I had a sleeping bag and a small 1-person tent to sleep in. I enjoyed the experience, but it’s scenes like these that make it all worth it. This may be my new favorite Milky Way.” Thank you, Jeremy! See more pics from the start of Milky Way season below.
Milky Way season is back!
The Milky Way is a cloudy stretch of stars and dust that make up our home galaxy. In Northern Hemisphere spring, the starry stretch of our galaxy begins to rise above the horizon in the early morning hours. So, if you’re up before the sun at this time of year, you may see the Milky Way returning to dark skies.
Many of our global members of the EarthSky community have been up early to capture the Milky Way. Enjoy their wonderful photos here. Do you have one of your own to share? Submit it to us!
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Melissa Neadle at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland caught the Milky Way on April 18, 2026. Melissa wrote: “This panorama of the Milky Way taken on one of the marsh trails shows the wide range of sky darkness levels in a single location. On the right side you’re facing the beautiful dark skies over the Atlantic Ocean. You can see the details of the core and some lovely green and magenta sky glow. But on the left you are looking toward Ocean City, Maryland. The resulting light pollution washes out the sky completely at the horizon.” Thank you, Melissa!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Randy Strauss in southeastern Nebraska captured the Milky Way galaxy on April 14, 2026. Randy wrote: “My first view of the Milky Way in 2026. This time of year it rises in the east around 2 a.m. and remains relatively low to the horizon until sunrise.” Thank you, Randy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Abhishek Konale in Jaisalmer, India, captured the Milky Way on March 21, 2026. Abhishek wrote: “The Milky Way core rising with the mystical hues of the Rho Ophiuchi complex, quietly revealing itself between passing clouds. The clouds ended up adding a special touch, acting like a natural star glow filter. And I was honestly really impressed with how the final image turned out. This 2-day desert camping journey into Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, wasn’t just about the stars. It was about the ride across endless dunes on camelback, unexpected desert rains, meals cooked over a wooden fire and long conversations under uncertain skies.” Thank you, Abhishek!
More images of our home galaxy
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jelieta Walinski at Montezuma Pass, Coronado National Memorial, Arizona, captured this shot on March 19, 2026. Jelieta wrote: “The Milky Way is a barred spiral system containing over 100 billion stars, its glowing core rich with interstellar dust, hydrogen clouds and stellar nurseries. That soft, radiant arc is not merely light, it is structure: the dense galactic plane seen edge-on from our position within it.” Thank you, Jelieta!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Meiying Lee in Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand, captured the Milky Way on March 19, 2026. Meiying wrote: “The southern Milky Way rises directly from the horizon, shining with remarkable clarity. On the right side of the sky, 2 faint, cloud-like patches stand out. These are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, iconic features of the Southern Hemisphere. Near the horizon, subtle hues of green and red glow softly. This is airglow, quietly revealing just how pure and transparent the sky is here.” Thank you, Meiying!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Aayan Shaikh in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, India, captured the Milky Way on March 13, 2026. Aayan wrote: “Got a truly clear night sky and shot this wonderful creation of our universe.” Thank you, Aayan!
Milky Way season at Joshua Tree
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Enji Chung captured this Milky Way image on April 18, 2026. Enji wrote: “I finally got a chance to get outside and shoot the Milky Way during International Dark Sky Week. I took this image in Joshua Tree National Park. The green-yellow glow is from Palm Springs.” Thank you, Enji!
Bottom line: Enjoy the beauty of our home galaxy in these images from the start of the Milky Way season. Thanks to our talented astrophotographers in the EarthSky community!
Kelly Kizer Whitt - EarthSky’s nature and travel vlogger on YouTube - writes and edits some of the most fascinating stories at EarthSky.org. She's been writing about science, with a focus on astronomy, for decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine and made regular contributions to other outlets, including AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club. She has nine published books, including a children's picture book, Solar System Forecast, and a young adult dystopian novel, A Different Sky.
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