How do you plan a night to photograph the Milky Way?

To plan a Milky Way photo night, line up four things: a dark site, a moonless window, a clear forecast, and the core above your chosen foreground. Scout the place in daylight, check where the Milky Way will rise, and arrive before dark so you set up without a torch in everyone’s eyes.

Step 1: pick the window

• Season: from the northern hemisphere the bright core is up roughly May to August, low in the south. In winter you get the fainter band through Cassiopeia and Perseus.
• Moon: around new moon, or the hours after moonset.
• Darkness: only after astronomical twilight ends, late in summer at high latitudes.

Step 2: check the forecast

Use an hourly cloud forecast for the site itself, and look at humidity: high humidity means dew on the lens. Have a back-up night if the trip allows.

Step 3: scout the foreground by day

Walk the spot in daylight. Note safe footing, where you will park legally, and which direction is south (north in the southern hemisphere). Cliffs, water and roads are harder to read in the dark.

Step 4: preview the sky

I build Sky Map, so weigh this tip: point its AR view at your horizon and it shows where constellations such as Sagittarius and Scorpius sit, which tells you where the core is right now. Check it at the site at dusk, or on a scouting night. The planet visibility timeline and the astronomical calendar help with planets and meteor showers, and Tonight’s Sky Conditions gives cloud cover, humidity and the best time. Its core map works offline at the site.

Step 5: on the night

• Arrive before dark, set up, and switch to red light.
• Turn the phone screen red with iPhone Color Filters (how).
• Keep spare batteries warm in an inner pocket.
• Back up before you sleep (how, without a laptop).

Related: how to see the Milky Way, astrophotography packing list for flying, and dark-sky places such as Death Valley or Ishigaki.