The Night Sky - What You Can See

The night sky has captivated people for thousands of years. The beautiful stars, the wandering of the planets across the sky, meteor showers, the northern lights, and eclipses. The night sky has plenty of beautiful and fascinating phenomena to offer. On this page we will try to help you with your stargazing by giving you tips on what you can see throughout the year, which special events take place in the different seasons, and where the best places are to experience the night sky.

What You Can See All Year Round

Throughout the year it is often possible to see one or more planets in the sky. The most visible planets we can spot are Venus and Jupiter, and they will often resemble very bright stars.

Venus is visible just after sunset or just before sunrise, and will be in the direction where the sun set or rose (towards the west at sunset and east at sunrise). After the Sun and the Moon, Venus is the brightest object in the sky, and it has therefore also been called the morning star (even though we know it is a planet).

Jupiter can typically be seen later in the evening and is also very bright in the sky and it is often mistaken for a brilliant new star because it is so prominent.

Mars (recognizable by its reddish color) is sometimes also visible in the night sky, and is often most visible late at night when it is completely dark. 

In the night sky we are also seeing more and more satellites, and occasionally it is even possible to spot the International Space Station (ISS) in the sky. Satellites can at first glance resemble small stars moving at a steady speed across the night sky. Sometimes you will see a satellite suddenly flare up as the Sun's rays catch the satellite and its solar panels.

It is also possible every year to see at least two solar eclipses and lunar eclipses from Earth! You need to be lucky, however, for the eclipses to be visible from Denmark, as they can only be seen from part of Earth's surface.

One of the most well-known object in the night sky is the stars. In the following section we will give you some tips on how to recognise some of the constellations, but we would also simply encourage you to go outside and enjoy the view and perhaps even invent your own constellations!

Some of the constellations that can be seen year round from Denmark are the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper (which contains the North Star), and Cassiopeia.

The Big Dipper can be seen towards the north all year round, and is very distinctively shaped like a wagon.

From the Big Dipper, the North Star can be found. Take the two outermost stars in the bowl of the wagon, and imagine a line between them pointing upward from the bowl, roughly five times the distance between the stars. This line will point directly to a solitary, bright star which is the North Star. The North Star points due north and will always be in the same spot in the night sky. It also forms the tip of the tail of the Little Dipper, which looks a little like a long-handled spoon.

If you continue on the other side of the North Star from the Big Dipper (at roughly the same distance) you will find Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia consists of five bright stars forming a W (or M shape).

In certain years, the night sky is extra beautiful because of the northern lights! This happens when the Sun goes through periods of heightened activity, sending a great many particles down to Earth, where they interact with the atmosphere and cause it to glow. You can read much more in the section on the Northern Lights.

The Winter Sky

The winter months are an amazing time of the year for stargazing, because darkness falls so quickly, and on those rare occasions when the sky is clear, there is nothing quite as beautiful as starlit winter night. Winter is also the best time to see the constellations Orion and Taurus.

Orion can be seen towards the south (the opposite direction from the North Star). It is shaped a little like an hourglass, and is most easily found by spotting the three stars in his belt. Orion's left shoulder is marked by the dying red giant star Betelgeuse, and his right foot is the blue supergiant Rigel. Orion's bow points diagonally up and to the right, as he is in the process of hunting Taurus, which is located there. The head of Taurus is shaped like a V, and its one glowing eye is the red giant star Aldebaran. Following Orion's belt down to the left (the opposite direction from Taurus) you will find the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius.

If you have found a truly dark location, you may be able to see the Milky Way clearly in the sky as a milky glow, and you might also be lucky enough to spot the Andromeda galaxy, the most distant object visible to the naked eye. Andromeda can be found by following the left stroke of the W in Cassiopeia downward.

The long, dark winter nights also offer plenty of opportunity to see shooting stars during meteor showers: the Orionids and Taurids, which originate from Orion and Taurus in October and November, the Geminids, one of the year's largest showers in December, and the Quadrantids, which are brief but intense in early January and originate near the Big Dipper. Read more in the section on Meteor showers.

The Summer Sky

The warm summer nights are shorter than in winter, but in return they are mild and perfect for lying on your back on a lawn and enjoying the night sky!

Three bright stars in particular will be prominent in the sky, namely the three stars of the Summer Triangle: Vega, Deneb, and Altair. The three stars form a large pointed triangle that sits high in the sky (almost directly overhead) and points towards the southeast.

The Summer Triangle can be found by first locating Cassiopeia (the W shape described above), and then looking for the two very bright stars to the right of the W. The rightmost of the two upper stars of the Summer Triangle, Vega, will be one of the brightest stars in the sky, while Deneb (the left star) and Altair (the lower point) are slightly fainter.

Summer also delivers on meteor showers, and the Perseids in August are particularly spectacular with up to 100 shooting stars per hour across the entire night sky. We also get to enjoy the Lyrids in April, which will be most visible in the direction of Vega. You can read more in the section on Meteor Showers.

Preparing to observe the night sky

In order to get the best possible chance of experiencing the night sky, the most important part is finding a location that is very dark and free of tall buildings,  pollution, and trees that might block the view. Ideally somewhere out in the countryside, away from artificial light. Remember that it can take up to half an hour for your eyes to adjust to the darkness of the night.

Dress warmly and bring a blanket so you can sit or lie down on the ground. This maximises your field of view, giving you an even wider view of the sky, and is especially recommended if you are looking out for shooting stars.

Best places in Denmark for Stargazing

To find a place that is truly dark, it's best to get out of the cities and away from street lights and houses. A Dark Sky Park is a place where the darkness of the night is protected from human-made light pollution, giving the area the best and clearest view of the night sky. Møn and Nyord have been designated as the Nordic region's first Dark Sky area. Read more about Dark Sky on Møn and Nyord. In Northwest Jutland, there is a certified Dark Sky Park near Frøstrup, covering the area around Bulbjerg-Troldsting-Lild Strand. Read more about Dark Sky Park Bulbjerg

List of the darkest places in Denmark

NORTH JUTLAND | Lille Vildmose, Aalborg · Råbjerg Mile, Frederikshavn · Bulbjerg and Lild Strand, Frøstrup · Vangså, Thisted · Vejlerne, Thisted

CENTRAL JUTLAND | Jernhatten, Syddjurs · Holme Å, east of Tofterup, Varde · Rejkær Sande and other areas near Ulfborg Plantation, Ringkøbing-Skjern and Holstebro · Kongenshus Memorial Park, Viborg · Stavns Fjord, Samsø

SOUTH JUTLAND | Lønborg Heath, Ringkøbing-Skjern · Løjt Land, Aabenraa · Margrethe Kog, Tønder · Åskov Heath, Haderslev · Skallingen, Esbjerg

FUNEN | Æbelø, Nordfyn · Hverringe Estate, Kerteminde

ZEALAND|  Saltbæk Vig, eastern side, Kalundborg · Asnæs Dyrehave, Kalundborg · Avnø, Vordingborg

MØN|  Møns Klint, Vordingborg · Nyord, Vordingborg

LOLLAND | Maribo Lakes, southeastern part, Lolland

DENMARK'S SMALLER ISLANDS|  Tunø, Langeland, Skarø, or the islands of the South Funen Archipelago are also good options for excellent stargazing conditions. The desert on Anholt also offers great opportunities for stargazing. The bunkers along the North Sea coast, Hammershus, Kongemindetårnet, or southern Bornholm are also obvious choices with suitably dark skies.