Milky Way Photography: June tips to capture our galaxy this summer

June is a prime time in the Northern Hemisphere to shoot the Milky Way as the galaxy’s bright core climbs into the southeastern sky around 11:30 p.m. Local viewing windows are best between the last-quarter moon around June 8 and the days after the new moon around June 14, with dark skies crucial. Use a full‑frame DSLR/mirrorless with RAW, a sturdy tripod, and a wide lens (14–24 mm); set about f/2.8, ISO 3200–6400, and 10–25 second exposures, then manually focus and post‑process for contrast and color. Don’t forget compelling foregrounds to add depth, and consider southern destinations in July–September as the Milky Way moves across the sky.