When can you see the Milky Way in Latvia?
Nowhere in Latvia does the bright core of the Milky Way climb clear of the horizon haze while the sky is fully dark. It peaks at about 5° in Bernāti Nature Park, Kurzeme, 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 October to March.
Where in Latvia 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 region | Longest dark nights | Bortle 1 to 3 | Darkest place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kurzeme | September to March | 2 of 10 | Slītere National ParkBortle 3 |
| Latgale | September to March | 2 of 4 | Rāzna National ParkBortle 3 |
| Zemgale | September to March | 1 of 5 | Sauka Nature ParkBortle 3 |
| Vidzeme | October to March | 1 of 7 | Gaiziņkalns Nature ParkBortle 3 |
| Riga Region | October to March | 0 of 2 | JūrmalaBortle 5 |
The darkest places in Latvia to see the Milky Way
- Slītere National Park Kurzeme · Bortle 321.83
- Rāzna National Park Latgale · Bortle 321.80
- Istra Hills Nature Park Latgale · Bortle 321.78
- Sauka Nature Park Zemgale · Bortle 321.76
- Užava Nature Park Kurzeme · Bortle 321.74
- Gaiziņkalns Nature Park Vidzeme · Bortle 321.72
- Abava Valley Nature Park Kurzeme · Bortle 421.69
- Kuja Nature Park Vidzeme · Bortle 421.69
- Driksnis Heath Nature Park Vidzeme · Bortle 421.68
- Embūte Nature Park Kurzeme · Bortle 421.67
Sky brightness overhead in mag/arcsec²: higher is darker, 21.95 is a natural sky.
Which months have the longest dark nights in Latvia?
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 Latvia gets no full darkness at all.
How the Milky Way dates for Latvia 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