Stargazing at Ytre Hvaler National Park: when is the sky clear and dark?
March is the best month for stargazing at Ytre Hvaler National Park: on average 36 clear, moonless hours of full darkness, and 25% of nights have at least two of them (ERA5, 2006–2025). The darkest spot we found there is darker than 57% 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 | 18% | 31 | 189 | 17% |
| February | 20% | 28 | 144 | 20% |
| March | 25% | 36 | 115 | 32% |
| April | 13% | 13 | 43 | 31% |
| May | 0% | 0 | 0 | — |
| June | 0% | 0 | 0 | — |
| July | 0% | 0 | 0 | — |
| August | 6% | 6 | 21 | 28% |
| September | 18% | 24 | 96 | 25% |
| October | 18% | 32 | 150 | 22% |
| November | 18% | 30 | 172 | 18% |
| December | 20% | 36 | 200 | 18% |
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 | 57% of Europe’s land |
|---|---|
| Light pollution | dark rural sky (darkest 20–50 %) |
| Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — Darkest spot we found | 2.54 |
| Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — at the official map point | 2.59 |
| Sky-glow index (own, VIIRS) — median across the area | 5.64 |
| Darkest spot we found | 58.992, 10.958 (map) — within the 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 | 20% |
| 7 January 2027 | 7–8 January 2027 | 12.3 | 18% |
| 6 February 2027 | 6–7 February 2027 | 10.8 | 20% |
| 8 March 2027 | 7–8 March 2027 | 8.3 | 25% |
| 6 April 2027 | 6–7 April 2027 | 5.0 | 13% |
| 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 | 4.2 | 6% |
| 30 September 2027 | 29–30 September 2027 | 7.8 | 18% |
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 | 38% | 55% | 7.3 | 53° |
| Geminids * | 13–14 December 2026 | 28% | 20% | 11.7 | 64° |
| Geminids * | 14–15 December 2026 | 28% | 28% | 10.3 | 64° |
| Quadrantids | 3–4 January 2027 | 40% | 13% | 14.0 | 74° |
| Lyrids * | 22–23 April 2027 | 53% | 95% | 1.7 | 60° |
| Lyrids * | 23–24 April 2027 | 43% | 90% | 2.8 | 61° |
| Eta Aquariids * | 5–6 May 2027 | 32% | 0% | 3.3 | -1° |
| Eta Aquariids * | 6–7 May 2027 | 37% | 0% | 3.0 | -2° |
| Perseids * | 12–13 August 2027 | 28% | 84% | 3.5 | 62° |
| Perseids * | 13–14 August 2027 | 33% | 90% | 2.2 | 62° |
| Orionids | 21–22 October 2027 | 25% | 58% | 2.0 | 47° |
| Leonids * | 17–18 November 2027 | 38% | 82% | 0.8 | 53° |
| Leonids * | 18–19 November 2027 | 35% | 73% | 2.3 | 53° |
| 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.