Is tonight good for stargazing in Leiden?

Drop everything — go outside

Near-perfect conditions. Nights like this are rare.

Leiden

Tonight's score

9.0

out of 10

Sun ↓ 18:50Dark 20:42–06:1416% cloud, 20:42–06:14

Best 2 hours

9.801:00–03:00

Evening, 21–01

8.921:00–01:00

Best this week

9.7Mon, Oct 19

Parts of the night. The score above covers the whole dark window.

Moon

Waxing Crescent

18% lit

Moon doesn’t interfere — perfect darkness

Moon up: 12:55–19:50

Visible in daylight from 12:55 until sunset

📍 SE · 4°

Full moon: Oct 26

Sky quality tonight

Best 2 hours: 01:00–03:00

This week’s nights

Europe/Amsterdam

How the score works

60% weight

Cloud cover

Averaged over the whole dark window, layer by layer. Low cloud blocks everything; thin high cirrus still lets bright stars through.

40% weight

Moon darkness

A new moon boosts the score. A bright Moon only costs points while it is actually above the horizon in the dark hours, and more the higher it stands.

Stargazing around Leiden

Updated 19 September 2026

Darker skies nearby

Hoge Kempen National Park
No formal dark-sky designation
150 km as the crow flies
De Boschplaat Dark Sky Park (Terschelling)
International Dark Sky Park (2015)
156 km as the crow flies
Lauwersmeer National Park Dark Sky Park
International Dark Sky Park (2016)
176 km as the crow flies
Schiermonnikoog
No formal dark-sky designation
188 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 19 May to 23 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 9° above the southern horizon from Leiden, so it hides behind haze and buildings.
The summer Milky Way through Cygnus is the one to look for: its brightest star, Deneb, passes 83° high.

Stargazing in Leiden: questions

When does it get properly dark in Leiden?

Between about 19 May and 23 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 Leiden?

From Leiden's latitude the Milky Way's core peaks at only 9° above the horizon, so the band to look for is the summer Milky Way through Cygnus, which passes 83° high on dark nights from July to October. The nearest designated dark-sky place is De Boschplaat Dark Sky Park (Terschelling), about 156 km away.

Where is the nearest dark-sky place to Leiden?

De Boschplaat Dark Sky Park (Terschelling): International Dark Sky Park (2015), about 156 km as the crow flies.

What is the best time of year for stargazing in Leiden?

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.