Is tonight good for stargazing in Utrecht?
Sky quality tonight
Best 2 hours: 21:00–23:00This week’s nights
Europe/AmsterdamHow the score works
Stargazing around Utrecht
Darker skies nearby
- Hoge Kempen National ParkNo formal dark-sky designation128 km as the crow flies
- De Boschplaat Dark Sky Park (Terschelling)International Dark Sky Park (2015)151 km as the crow flies
- Lauwersmeer National Park Dark Sky ParkInternational Dark Sky Park (2016)159 km as the crow flies
- SchiermonnikoogNo formal dark-sky designation172 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 22 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 Utrecht, 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 Utrecht: questions
When does it get properly dark in Utrecht?
Between about 19 May and 22 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 Utrecht?
From Utrecht'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 151 km away.
Where is the nearest dark-sky place to Utrecht?
De Boschplaat Dark Sky Park (Terschelling): International Dark Sky Park (2015), about 151 km as the crow flies.
What is the best time of year for stargazing in Utrecht?
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.