With the arrival of the summer solstice on June 21, stargazing becomes a late-night hobby. But June is one of the best months of the year to photograph the Milky Way from the Northern Hemisphere. As summer arrives, the brightest region of our galaxy — the galactic core — begins to climb into view in the southeastern sky. However, success will depend on timing, darkness and preparation.

The Milky Way is visible throughout the year, but its brightest and most photogenic section is best seen between May and September. In June, at midlatitudes, it becomes visible in the southeastern sky around 11:30 p.m. local time as true astronomical darkness begins, opening a roughly three-hour viewing window before the sky begins to lighten. Even so, you'll need a dark sky, which can be found using a light-pollution map or searching for a nearby Dark Sky Place, Dark-Sky Preserve (Canada) or Dark Sky Discovery site (U.K.).