Why do we photograph the Milky Way in summer?

For stargazers and astrophotographers in the northern hemisphere, summer is the best time to observe and photograph our cosmic neighborhood, the Milky Way galaxy. The summer months of June, July and August are synonymous with one of the most magnificent sights in the night sky, the brilliant, dense core of the Milky Way.

While our home galaxy is a permanent fixture in the heavens, the core is best photographed during this specific window. We will look at why the summer months are the best for photographing the Milky Way, how to capture the perfect shot and the essential gear you will need to capture this night sky wonder.

Where are we in the Milky Way?

Our best mirrorless camera for low light is the Sony A7 III. We gave it four and a half stars for its excellent high ISO performance, br