From April through May, the band sits near the horizon, where air absorption and haze largely obscure it, while Earth’s viewing angle points above the galaxy’s plane.
In summer, the Milky Way rises steeply across the southern sky because Earth faces the galaxy’s crowded centre; in winter it appears fainter as the view turns outward toward the edge.
Spring instead opens clearer views into deep space around Leo, Virgo and Ursa Major, and by about 3 a.m. the summer Milky Way begins returning in the eastern sky.
How does spring’s 'empty' sky help astronomers hunt for the universe’s invisible dark matter?
Will the new Roman telescope change our map of the universe from this unique seasonal viewpoint?
With our Milky Way hidden, what ancient cosmic secrets are rival galaxies now revealing to us?