YozoraAtlas

When can you see the Milky Way in the Czech Republic?

Nowhere in the Czech Republic does the bright core of the Milky Way climb clear of the horizon haze while the sky is fully dark. It peaks at about 12° in Přerov, Olomouc Region, and that happens around midsummer, when the sun never gets 18° below the horizon. What you can see is the rest of the band, high overhead on dark nights. The longest moonless nights come from September to April.

Where in the Czech Republic is the Milky Way band brightest?

The band needs a dark sky more than anything. Each region with its longest moonless nights, how many of its places are Bortle 1 to 3, and its darkest place.

State or regionLongest dark nightsBortle 1 to 3Darkest place
Plzeň RegionSeptember to April0 of 6Šumava National ParkBortle 4
Olomouc RegionSeptember to April0 of 6Jeseníky Protected Landscape AreaBortle 4
South Bohemian RegionSeptember to April0 of 6Třeboňsko Protected Landscape AreaBortle 4
Karlovy Vary RegionSeptember to April0 of 4Slavkovský les Protected Landscape AreaBortle 4
South Moravian RegionSeptember to April0 of 8Podyjí National ParkBortle 4
Ústí nad Labem RegionSeptember to March0 of 10České Švýcarsko National ParkBortle 4
Central Bohemian RegionSeptember to April0 of 10Blaník Protected Landscape AreaBortle 4
Hradec Králové RegionSeptember to March0 of 5Broumovsko Protected Landscape AreaBortle 4
Liberec RegionSeptember to March0 of 4Kokořínsko-Máchův kraj Protected Landscape AreaBortle 4
Zlín RegionSeptember to April0 of 6Beskydy Protected Landscape AreaBortle 4

The darkest places in the Czech Republic to see the Milky Way

  1. Šumava National Park Plzeň Region · Bortle 421.58
  2. Český les Protected Landscape Area Plzeň Region · Bortle 421.41
  3. the Manětín Dark Sky Park Plzeň Region · Bortle 421.38
  4. Jeseníky Protected Landscape Area Olomouc Region · Bortle 421.36
  5. Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area South Bohemian Region · Bortle 421.33
  6. Slavkovský les Protected Landscape Area Karlovy Vary Region · Bortle 421.30
  7. Podyjí National Park South Moravian Region · Bortle 421.30
  8. České Švýcarsko National Park Ústí nad Labem Region · Bortle 421.25
  9. Brdy Protected Landscape Area Plzeň Region · Bortle 421.22
  10. Blaník Protected Landscape Area Central Bohemian Region · Bortle 421.19

Sky brightness overhead in mag/arcsec²: higher is darker, 21.95 is a natural sky.

Which months have the longest dark nights in the Czech Republic?

Hours per night with the sun more than 18° below the horizon and the moon down, for the median place in 2027. From May to July most of the Czech Republic gets no full darkness at all.

6.4 hJan5.4 hFeb4.8 hMar3.3 hApr1.5 hMay0.0 hJun0.4 hJul2.5 hAug3.8 hSep5.1 hOct5.9 hNov6.4 hDec

How the Milky Way dates for the Czech Republic are calculated

The positions of the sun, the moon and the center of the Milky Way are calculated for every night of 2027 at each place. A night counts when the core stands more than 10° above the horizon for at least an hour while the sun is more than 18° below the horizon and the moon has set. These are calculated positions; whether a night is clear is only known closer to the date. How it works