Stargazers should have good view of Milky Way until April

The Milky Way visible above a temple pagoda in remote area. (Photo courtesy the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand)

The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand is encouraging stargazers to take the opportunity to admire the Milky Way from February to April, one of only two short periods a year most suitable for celestial observation.

Suparuek Kharuehanon, chief of the institute’s academic astronomy service, said our spiral galaxy would be visible much of the time, its bright path stretching across the sky, in the early morning from locations nationwide where there is no light pollution until the end of April.

The galactic centre itself, the brightest spot of the Milky Way, could be spotted in the East between Scorpius and Sagittarius.

Mr Suparuek said the period February to April was recommended as the monsoon would return after then, and the stars will be obscured most of the time by cloud.

The Milky Way, the name given to our home galaxy, would be again clearly seen in the Southwest after October, he said.