Is tonight good for stargazing in Leeuwarden?
Sky quality tonight
Best 2 hours: 03:00–05:00This week’s nights
Europe/AmsterdamHow the score works
Stargazing around Leeuwarden
Darker skies nearby
- Lauwersmeer National Park Dark Sky ParkInternational Dark Sky Park (2016)32 km as the crow flies
- De Boschplaat Dark Sky Park (Terschelling)International Dark Sky Park (2015)34 km as the crow flies
- SchiermonnikoogNo formal dark-sky designation43 km as the crow flies
- Spiekeroog Star IslandInternational Dark Sky Community – Star Island (2021)141 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 14 May to 27 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 12.1 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 8° above the southern horizon from Leeuwarden, so it hides behind haze and buildings.
- The summer Milky Way through Cygnus is the one to look for: its brightest star, Deneb, passes 82° high.
Stargazing in Leeuwarden: questions
When does it get properly dark in Leeuwarden?
Between about 14 May and 27 July it never gets fully dark. The longest dark nights, around the winter solstice, give about 12.1 hours of full darkness. Months with 9+ hours: October – February.
Can you see the Milky Way from Leeuwarden?
From Leeuwarden's latitude the Milky Way's core peaks at only 8° above the horizon, so the band to look for is the summer Milky Way through Cygnus, which passes 82° high on dark nights from July to October. The nearest designated dark-sky place is Lauwersmeer National Park Dark Sky Park, about 32 km away.
Where is the nearest dark-sky place to Leeuwarden?
Lauwersmeer National Park Dark Sky Park: International Dark Sky Park (2016), about 32 km as the crow flies.
What is the best time of year for stargazing in Leeuwarden?
For long, fully dark nights: October – February. Around the winter solstice there are about 12.1 hours of full darkness. Check the score before you go; clouds decide more than the calendar.