The Milky Way will be visible without a telescope this summer. Here are the key nights to watch for.

It's the best time of the year to see the Milky Way. In July and August, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, the bright center of our galaxy becomes visible, but only to those in the right place at the right time. If the skies are clear, it's possible to see billions of stars arching across the night sky.

Sadly, most people in North America and Europe have no chance of seeing the Milky Way unless they Travel to a dark-sky location. It's also necessary to avoid strong moonlight, which makes only about 10 days per month in the summer months suitable for easily seeing the Milky Way after dark. So it's not surprising that an estimated 80% of North Americans have never seen the Milky Way.

According to Capture The Atlas, it's possible to see the Milky Way from the Northern Hemisphere from March to September. From the Southern Hemisphere, that window expands by about a month on each side.

Your latitude on Earth makes a difference, but generally, the Milky Way is visible in the early morning from March to June and in the evening from July to early October. For example, if you want to see the Milky Way in March, you'll have to be up at 4 a.m. By September, it's an after-sunset event.

There are also other factors to consider. You need moonless night skies, prioritizing the 10 nights around the new moon — when the moon is not in the night sky — specifically from the last quarter moon to three nights after the new moon (when a crescent moon will set soon after dark).

That means these dates are the best times to see the Milky Way this summer and fall:

• June 28 - July 8
• July 28 - Aug. 7
• Aug. 26 - Sept. 6
• Sept. 24 - Oct. 5

Sunset and sunrise times, particularly in July and August, should also be considered, as they restrict the hours of darkness. This is when you're most likely to see the Milky Way right after sunset. However, you'll need total darkness to get a good view.