Is tonight good for stargazing in Eindhoven?
Sky quality tonight
Best 2 hours: 03:00–05:00This week’s nights
Europe/AmsterdamHow the score works
Stargazing around Eindhoven
Darker skies nearby
- Hoge Kempen National ParkNo formal dark-sky designation53 km as the crow flies
- Sternenpark Nationalpark EifelInternational Dark Sky Park (2014)114 km as the crow flies
- Lauwersmeer National Park Dark Sky ParkInternational Dark Sky Park (2016)219 km as the crow flies
- De Boschplaat Dark Sky Park (Terschelling)International Dark Sky Park (2015)221 km as the crow flies
What you can realistically see from the city
- The Moon and the bright planets (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars when it is close) show up even from a light-polluted centre on a clear night.
- Bright stars and constellations are easy. Through binoculars, the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula (winter) still stand out; faint galaxies do not.
Darkness through the year
- From about 23 May to 19 July the sun never gets 18° below the horizon, so the sky never becomes fully dark, even at 2 a.m.
- Around the winter solstice you get about 12 hours of full darkness.
- Nights with 9+ hours of full darkness: October – February.
- The bright core of the Milky Way (in Sagittarius) never climbs more than 10° above the southern horizon from Eindhoven, so it hides behind haze and buildings.
- The summer Milky Way through Cygnus is the one to look for: its brightest star, Deneb, passes 84° high.
Stargazing in Eindhoven: questions
When does it get properly dark in Eindhoven?
Between about 23 May and 19 July it never gets fully dark. The longest dark nights, around the winter solstice, give about 12 hours of full darkness. Months with 9+ hours: October – February.
Can you see the Milky Way from Eindhoven?
From Eindhoven's latitude the Milky Way's core peaks at only 10° above the horizon, so the band to look for is the summer Milky Way through Cygnus, which passes 84° high on dark nights from July to October. The nearest designated dark-sky place is Sternenpark Nationalpark Eifel, about 114 km away.
Where is the nearest dark-sky place to Eindhoven?
Sternenpark Nationalpark Eifel: International Dark Sky Park (2014), about 114 km as the crow flies.
What is the best time of year for stargazing in Eindhoven?
For long, fully dark nights: October – February. Around the winter solstice there are about 12 hours of full darkness. Check the score before you go; clouds decide more than the calendar.