Dark Sky Odds

Stargazing at Naturpark Attersee-Traunsee: when is the sky clear and dark?

March is the best month for stargazing at Naturpark Attersee-Traunsee: on average 30 clear, moonless hours of full darkness, and 19% of nights have at least two of them (ERA5, 2006–2025). The darkest spot we found there is darker than 68% of Europe’s land (NASA VIIRS 2025).

Data updated: 31 December 2025 · Sources and licences

Calculated 5 November 2026 · cloud cover ERA5 2006–2025 · night lights NASA VIIRS 2025

International Dark Sky Park · Austria · DarkSky International

MarchBest month
252Clear moonless dark hours a year
68%darker than … of Europe’s land
19%Nights with ≥ 2 such hours (March)

Month by month

MonthNights with ≥ 2 such hoursClear moonless dark hoursMoonless dark hoursOf them clear
January16%2318013%
February20%2914620%
March19%3013423%
April18%239624%
May10%106116%
June2%42516%
July7%74915%
August12%179218%
September18%2412220%
October20%2815418%
November19%2716716%
December17%3017617%

Climate, not a forecast: these are shares of past nights (ERA5 reanalysis, 2006–2025), not a prediction for a particular night. Check a forecast before you go.

Light pollution

Darker than68% of Europe’s land
Light pollutiondark rural sky (darkest 20–50 %)
Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — Darkest spot we found1.46
Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — at the official map point1.76
Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — median across the area1.91
Darkest spot we found47.825, 13.608 (map) — within 4.9 km of the Wikidata point (no OSM boundary)

Next new moons

New moonNightMoonless dark hours that nightTypical share of good nights that month
9 November 20268–9 November 202610.819%
9 December 20268–9 December 202611.717%
7 January 20277–8 January 202711.716%
6 February 20276–7 February 202710.720%
8 March 20277–8 March 20279.219%
6 April 20276–7 April 20277.218%
6 May 20275–6 May 20274.810%
4 June 20274–5 June 20272.32%
4 July 20273–4 July 20271.87%
2 August 20271–2 August 20274.312%
31 August 202731 August 2027 – 1 September 20276.812%
30 September 202729–30 September 20278.718%

Hours with the Sun below −18° and the Moon below the horizon, on the night of the new moon, at the darkest spot.

Meteor showers

ShowerPeak nightChance of a clear peak nightMoon litMoonless dark hours (Sun < −12°)Radiant max. height
Leonids17–18 November 202633%55%6.564°
Geminids *13–14 December 202633%20%10.375°
Geminids *14–15 December 202625%28%9.275°
Quadrantids3–4 January 202718%13%11.870°
Lyrids22–23 April 202738%95%1.375°
Eta Aquariids *5–6 May 202725%0%6.715°
Eta Aquariids *6–7 May 202732%0%6.514°
Perseids *12–13 August 202723%84%3.067°
Perseids *13–14 August 202732%90%2.268°
Orionids21–22 October 202732%59%3.258°
Leonids *17–18 November 202733%82%1.764°
Leonids *18–19 November 202732%73%3.064°
Geminids14–15 December 202725%98%0.075°

* The peak falls in daylight in Europe, so both neighbouring nights are shown.

Clear peak night: at least 2 hours with ≤ 20 % cloud while the Sun is below −12°, on the same calendar night ± 1 in 2006–2025.

How we calculate