Moonless nights, dark sky parks, more: What to know to see Milky Way galaxy this summer

Believe it or not, the stardust-studded sparkle of the Milky Way galaxy is yet another celestial phenomenon that is visible from Michigan's backyard with your own eyes.

With careful planning, Milky Way season during the late summer months offers an excellent time to gape at the galaxy from a number of Michigan's state parks and other rural areas without a telescope. Just hike away to a dark sky park, let your eyes adjust and get to galaxy gazing.

Here's everything you might want to know to catch a glimpse of the Milky Way galaxy.

How is it possible to see the Milky Way galaxy?

Before the days of light pollution, the Milky Way used to be visible to people around the world under the right conditions. Now, you essentially have to be in the right place at the right time: in a place with very low levels of light pollution, looking at the southern part of the sky, on a clear and dark summer night.

Why is it easier to see the Milky Way in the summer versus the winter?

During the summer, Earth is positioned around the sun at an angle that faces the center of the Milky Way, where bright space matter clusters in towards the spiral. During the winter, Earth is situated facing out at the galaxy's arms, where star density is much lower so what we can see in the sky is a lot less bright.

When is the best time to the see the Milky Way?

In order to see the Milky Way, you have to eradicate all sources of light, even moonlight.

The best time to see the Milky Way is up to a week before and within days after a new moon to avoid excess light in the night sky. Through the remainder of this summer into early fall, a new moon falls on July 5, Aug. 4, Sept. 2 and Oct. 2.

What can you expect to see?

Unfortunately, the naked eye can't capture light quite the way a fancy camera can, so don't expect to see the Milky Way exactly how it looks in gorgeous picture online. Instead, look for a faint, whitish glow that stretches from the southern to the northeastern horizon with some lighter and darker patches where light shines through more or is blocked by space dust.

Where to see the Milky Way in Michigan

The best way to see the Milky Way is from one of Michigan's dark sky parks, situated away from major sources of light pollution. Keep in mind that as state parks, some dark sky parks may require a recreation passport to enter.

• Dr. T.K. Lawless Park in Cass County Park
• Headlands Dark Sky Park in Emmet County Park
• Keweenaw Dark Sky Park in Keweenaw County

You can also use a light pollution map to look for other nearby areas with low light pollution.