Stargazing at Raet National Park: when is the sky clear and dark?
December is the best month for stargazing at Raet National Park: on average 37 clear, moonless hours of full darkness, and 22% of nights have at least two of them (ERA5, 2006–2025). The darkest spot we found there is darker than 35% of Europe’s land (NASA VIIRS 2025).
national park · Norway
Month by month
| Month | Nights with ≥ 2 such hours | Clear moonless dark hours | Moonless dark hours | Of them clear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21% | 35 | 187 | 19% |
| February | 19% | 29 | 145 | 20% |
| March | 23% | 35 | 116 | 30% |
| April | 16% | 17 | 47 | 35% |
| May | 0% | 0 | 0 | — |
| June | 0% | 0 | 0 | — |
| July | 0% | 0 | 0 | — |
| August | 6% | 6 | 25 | 26% |
| September | 16% | 22 | 99 | 22% |
| October | 20% | 32 | 149 | 22% |
| November | 18% | 30 | 175 | 17% |
| December | 22% | 37 | 188 | 20% |
No astronomical darkness (May, June, July): the Sun stays above −18° all night.
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 than | 35% of Europe’s land |
|---|---|
| Light pollution | noticeable light glow |
| Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — Darkest spot we found | 7.07 |
| Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — at the official map point | 25 |
| Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — median across the area | 33 |
| Darkest spot we found | 58.458, 8.575 (map) — within 14 km of the Wikidata point (no OSM boundary) |
Next new moons
| New moon | Night | Moonless dark hours that night | Typical share of good nights that month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 November 2026 | 8–9 November 2026 | 11.2 | 18% |
| 9 December 2026 | 8–9 December 2026 | 12.3 | 22% |
| 7 January 2027 | 7–8 January 2027 | 12.2 | 21% |
| 6 February 2027 | 6–7 February 2027 | 10.8 | 19% |
| 8 March 2027 | 7–8 March 2027 | 8.3 | 23% |
| 6 April 2027 | 6–7 April 2027 | 5.2 | 16% |
| 6 May 2027 | 5–6 May 2027 | 0.0 | 0% |
| 4 June 2027 | 4–5 June 2027 | 0.0 | 0% |
| 4 July 2027 | 3–4 July 2027 | 0.0 | 0% |
| 2 August 2027 | 1–2 August 2027 | 0.0 | 6% |
| 31 August 2027 | 31 August 2027 – 1 September 2027 | 4.3 | 6% |
| 30 September 2027 | 29–30 September 2027 | 7.8 | 16% |
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
| Shower | Peak night | Chance of a clear peak night | Moon lit | Moonless dark hours (Sun < −12°) | Radiant max. height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonids | 17–18 November 2026 | 30% | 55% | 7.3 | 54° |
| Geminids * | 13–14 December 2026 | 23% | 20% | 11.7 | 64° |
| Geminids * | 14–15 December 2026 | 28% | 28% | 10.3 | 64° |
| Quadrantids | 3–4 January 2027 | 40% | 13% | 13.8 | 74° |
| Lyrids | 22–23 April 2027 | 57% | 95% | 1.5 | 62° |
| Eta Aquariids * | 5–6 May 2027 | 45% | 0% | 3.5 | -1° |
| Eta Aquariids * | 6–7 May 2027 | 40% | 0% | 3.3 | -1° |
| Perseids * | 12–13 August 2027 | 40% | 84% | 3.5 | 63° |
| Perseids * | 13–14 August 2027 | 42% | 90% | 2.2 | 63° |
| Orionids | 21–22 October 2027 | 30% | 58% | 2.2 | 48° |
| Leonids * | 17–18 November 2027 | 30% | 82% | 0.8 | 54° |
| Leonids * | 18–19 November 2027 | 28% | 73% | 2.5 | 54° |
| Geminids | 14–15 December 2027 | 28% | 98% | 0.0 | 64° |
* 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.