The Milky Way appears at its most glorious during August and September evenings free of moonlight (this year, the most favorable evenings occur from August 30 through September 11). You'll need to be in the mountains or the desert to see it clearly; too much artificial light in or near the urbanized parts of San Diego County renders it all but invisible. The Milky Way seems to broaden and become generally brighter over the south horizon, specifically near the constellation Sagittarius. When we gaze in this direction, we look toward the crowded heart of our galaxy, where millions of dim stars are so closely spaced in the sky that taken together they resemble puffs of steam.
The Milky Way appears at its most glorious during August and September evenings free of moonlight (this year, the most favorable evenings occur from August 30 through September 11). You'll need to be in the mountains or the desert to see it clearly; too much artificial light in or near the urbanized parts of San Diego County renders it all but invisible. The Milky Way seems to broaden and become generally brighter over the south horizon, specifically near the constellation Sagittarius. When we gaze in this direction, we look toward the crowded heart of our galaxy, where millions of dim stars are so closely spaced in the sky that taken together they resemble puffs of steam.