The core clears 10 degrees during full darkness on most nights from February to October. In January, November and December it's out of reach, either too close to the Sun or too low in the dark.
Core score by month
| Month | Core score | Best week | Moon-free core hours a night | Average cloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | No moon-free core hours | 0 | 40% |
| February | 12 | February 10 to 16 | 0.8 | 41% |
| March | 31 | March 10 to 16 | 2.0 | 39% |
| April | 53 | April 6 to 12 | 3.2 | 34% |
| May | 69 | May 3 to 9 | 4.4 | 31% |
| June | 67 | June 1 to 7 | 5.7 | 33% |
| July | 49 | July 1 to 7 | 5.4 | 51% |
| August | 45 | August 1 to 7 | 3.5 | 49% |
| September | 29 | September 21 to 27 | 1.8 | 36% |
| October | 10 | October 18 to 24 | 0.6 | 30% |
| November | 0 | Core not visible | 0 | 34% |
| December | 0 | Core not visible | 0 | 41% |
Times are for the best seven nights in each month. Moon-free means the moon is below the horizon. The core counts as visible above 10 degrees in full darkness, when the Sun is more than 18 degrees below the horizon.
The best nights in 2027
- April: April 9 is the best night. The core is above 10 degrees and the moon is down from 2:05 am to 5:15 am, with the moon 13% lit that night.
- May: May 7 is the best night. The core is above 10 degrees and the moon is down from 12:15 am to 4:35 am, with the moon 5% lit that night.
- June: June 4 is the best night. The core is above 10 degrees and the moon is down from 10:25 pm to 4:15 am, with the moon 0% lit that night.
Clock times are Mountain time with daylight saving applied. The best nights fall around the new moon, so the dates shift by about 11 days each year.
About White Sands National Park
White Sands in southern New Mexico is the world's largest gypsum dunefield, a sea of pure white waves that stay cool to walk on. You can sled down the dunes on a plastic saucer, and sunsets turn the sand pink. Unlike quartz sand, gypsum dissolves in water, so these dunes are a rarity.
It became a national monument in 1933 and a national park in 2019. The park sits within the White Sands Missile Range, so the road is sometimes closed for tests. The first atomic bomb test was held not far north in 1945.
White Sands National Park is a national park in New Mexico. The National Park Service places its center at 32.78 degrees north and 106.33 degrees west, and the sky calculations on this page use that point. Visitor information, fees and alerts are on the park's own page. National Park Service (opens in a new tab).
How White Sands National Park compares
Its best monthly core score of 69 ranks 17 of 54 national park units that can see the core. The highest is Lassen Volcanic National Park at 86, and the lowest is Voyageurs National Park at 13. Cloud at White Sands National Park runs from 30% in October to 51% in July.
The score ranks months and parks. It isn't a forecast for any night, and it leaves out local weather, smoke and light from nearby towns. How the core score works.
How dark is the sky?
The Park Service models how much artificial light brightens the sky across the lower 48. At the point used for White Sands National Park, it puts the added glow at about 47% of the natural brightness of a moonless sky (a ratio of 0.466). That makes it 29th darkest of the 47 parks it covers. Lower is darker. This is a model, not a reading taken at the park, and it describes one point, so the edges of a large park can differ.
Questions people ask
When is the best time to see the Milky Way at White Sands National Park?
April, May and June are the best months. The best week of 2027 is May 3 to 9.
Can you see the Milky Way at White Sands National Park all year?
The core clears 10 degrees during full darkness on most nights from February to October. In January, November and December it's out of reach, either too close to the Sun or too low in the dark.
How dark is the sky at White Sands National Park?
The Park Service models how much artificial light brightens the sky across the lower 48. At the point used for White Sands National Park, it puts the added glow at about 47% of the natural brightness of a moonless sky (a ratio of 0.466). That makes it 29th darkest of the 47 parks it covers. Lower is darker. This is a model, not a reading taken at the park, and it describes one point, so the edges of a large park can differ.
Does the moon matter at White Sands National Park?
Yes. A bright moon hides the Milky Way. The best night in May is May 7, when the moon is 5% lit and the core is above 10 degrees from 12:15 am to 4:35 am.
