YozoraAtlas

When can you see the Milky Way in Norway?

Nowhere in Norway does the bright core of the Milky Way climb clear of the horizon haze while the sky is fully dark. It peaks at about 3° in Arendal, Agder, 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 Norway is the Milky Way band brightest?

The band needs a dark sky more than anything. Each county 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
TrøndelagOctober to March5 of 8Børgefjell National ParkBortle 2
FinnmarkOctober to February2 of 4Anárjohka National ParkBortle 3
InnlandetOctober to March11 of 13Femundsmarka National ParkBortle 3
VestlandOctober to March2 of 4Jostedalsbreen National ParkBortle 3
BuskerudOctober to March1 of 2Hallingskarvet National ParkBortle 3
NordlandOctober to February2 of 8Lomsdal-Visten National ParkBortle 3
TromsOctober to February2 of 6Reisa National ParkBortle 3
AgderOctober to March0 of 4Raet National ParkBortle 5
Møre og RomsdalOctober to March0 of 3MoldeBortle 6
AkershusOctober to March0 of 3Østmarka National ParkBortle 6

The darkest places in Norway to see the Milky Way

  1. Børgefjell National Park Trøndelag · Bortle 221.91
  2. Lierne National Park Trøndelag · Bortle 221.91
  3. Anárjohka National Park Finnmark · Bortle 321.89
  4. Femundsmarka National Park Innlandet · Bortle 321.89
  5. Gutulia National Park Innlandet · Bortle 321.89
  6. Breheimen National Park Innlandet · Bortle 321.88
  7. Blåfjella-Skjækerfjella National Park Trøndelag · Bortle 321.88
  8. Gressåmoen National Park Trøndelag · Bortle 321.88
  9. Jotunheimen National Park Innlandet · Bortle 321.87
  10. Jostedalsbreen National Park Vestland · Bortle 321.87

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

Which months have the longest dark nights in Norway?

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 Norway gets no full darkness at all.

6.9 hJan5.4 hFeb4.1 hMar1.1 hApr0.0 hMay0.0 hJun0.0 hJul0.3 hAug2.6 hSep4.9 hOct6.1 hNov6.9 hDec

How the Milky Way dates for Norway 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