Tonight offers prime viewing of the Milky Way, NASA says

The Milky Way stretches across a dark summer sky. The nights surrounding the July 14 new moon offer some of the month’s best conditions for viewing the galaxy with the naked eye, according to NASA. Photo: Dns Dgn

PARK CITY, Utah — Utahns who can escape the glow of city lights Tuesday night may have one of the best opportunities of the month to see the Milky Way with the naked eye.

NASA says the dark nights surrounding the July 14 new moon offer July’s best conditions for viewing the Milky Way. Because the side of the moon facing Earth is dark during a new moon, there is little moonlight to wash out faint stars and the hazy band of the galaxy.

Viewers should seek out a dark location away from streetlights, buildings, and other sources of artificial light. NASA says darkness is especially important for seeing the Milky Way, which is made up largely of stars too faint to remain visible beneath urban light pollution.

The brightest central portion of the galaxy is visible during the summer months and appears as a faint, cloudlike band arching across the southern sky. No telescope or binoculars are needed, though viewers should allow their eyes about 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness and avoid looking at phone screens.

NASA recommends beginning once the sky is fully dark. In the Park City area, higher-elevation locations with an unobstructed view to the south and as little surrounding light as possible will offer the best chance of seeing it.