The Milky Way over a path leading to a beach in Avalon, Cape May County on Thursday, June, 14, 2018.

Photo courtesy of Chris Bakley

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The combination of clear skies, warmer temperatures and the moon entering its darkest phase over the last week made conditions ideal for Milky Way photography in New Jersey.

While the Milky Way's galactic core is not easily visible with the naked eye due to the light pollution in much of the densely-populated northeastern United States, long-exposure photography (usually 10 to 20 seconds steadied by a tripod) allows cameras to gather enough light for some stunning images. It requires a decent camera, a fair amount of photo know-how and plenty of patience. But there's entire groups on Facebook dedicated to Milky Way photography that share spectacular images from around the world.

The best spots for photographing the Milky Way are father away from congested areas between the months of mid-March to mid-October. The recent new moon on June 13 provided some stellar images from the Jersey Shore in particular.

The next new moon will be July 12. This month's full moon on June 28 is known as the Strawberry Moon.

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Photo courtesy of Werner Tedesco

The Milky Way over a catamaran on the beach in Stone Harbor in Cape May County over the weekend.

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Photo courtesy of Werner Tedesco

The Milky Way with an old water tower in the foreground in Lower Township, Cape May County, near Sunset Beach and the World War II watchtower.

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What better place than here, what better time than now? The Milky Way rising over the access road in Island Beach State Park, Jersey Shore, NJ. Website: www.johnentwistlephotography.com Posted by John Entwistle Photography on Sunday, June 17, 2018

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The Milky Way reflecting in a puddle in Island Beach State Park, Jersey Shore, NJ. Website: www.johnentwistlephotography.com Posted by John Entwistle Photography on Thursday, June 14, 2018

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Photo courtesy of Werner Tedesco

The Milky Way over a rock jetty in Stone Harbor, Cape May County over the weekend.

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Taking it all in. The Milky Way arching over the access road in Island Beach State incredibly early this morning, Jersey Shore, NJ. Website: www.johnentwistlephotography.com Posted by John Entwistle Photography on Tuesday, June 12, 2018

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Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! The past few days have been full of stargazing for me! So incredibly lucky... Posted by Chris Bakley on Saturday, June 16, 2018

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Have you seen other outstanding Milky Way photos in the past month? Share them in the comments below.