Want to experience the kind of cosmic panorama seen under the opening credits of Star Wars ? You’re at the right place at the right time. We are fast approaching the year’s starriest sky.

That’s because at nightfall we’re aimed toward the most concentrated part of our galaxy. During the first few hours of darkness, from 8 to 10 p.m., the Milky Way neatly splits the sky from north to south and passes directly overhead.

But don’t look for it this weekend, which has a brilliant full moon. Wait a week, when the night’s opening hours are bathed in darkness for a full fortnight. Those perfectly dark conditions from Sept. 10 through 24, combined with late summer’s typical crisp, dry air, afford the kind of transparency that allows the countless subtle details of the Milky Way to emerge in all

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