Finding the best Milky Way location in your area isn’t about luck. It’s about methodical planning combined with boots-on-the-ground exploration. And here’s my three-step process: 1. Start with light pollution maps. Use tools like lightpollutionmap.info or Dark Site Finder to identify areas with low Bortle class ratings. Bortle 4 is the highest I’d recommend shooting in. Bortle 2 or 3 is significantly better for revealing galactic core detail and natural sky color. *Pro tip: Pay attention to dire