When can you see the Milky Way in Sweden?
Nowhere in Sweden does the bright core of the Milky Way climb clear of the horizon haze while the sky is fully dark. It peaks at about 6° in Trelleborg, Skåne, 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 Sweden 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 region | Longest dark nights | Bortle 1 to 3 | Darkest place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalarna | October to March | 2 of 4 | Töfsingdalen National ParkBortle 2 |
| Norrbotten | October to February | 5 of 9 | Pieljekaise National ParkBortle 2 |
| Gävleborg | October to March | 1 of 3 | Hamra National ParkBortle 3 |
| Jämtland | October to March | 1 of 2 | Sonfjället National ParkBortle 3 |
| Västerbotten | October to March | 1 of 3 | Björnlandet National ParkBortle 3 |
| Kalmar | October to March | 0 of 3 | Norra Kvill National ParkBortle 4 |
| Västernorrland | October to March | 0 of 4 | Skuleskogen National ParkBortle 4 |
| Kronoberg | October to March | 0 of 2 | Åsnen National ParkBortle 4 |
| Västra Götaland | October to March | 0 of 13 | Tiveden National ParkBortle 4 |
| Uppsala | October to March | 0 of 3 | Färnebofjärden National ParkBortle 4 |
| Skåne | September to March | 0 of 10 | Stenshuvud National ParkBortle 4 |
| Jönköping | October to March | 0 of 3 | Store Mosse National ParkBortle 4 |
| Örebro | October to March | 0 of 3 | Garphyttan National ParkBortle 4 |
| Stockholm | October to March | 0 of 12 | Tyresta National ParkBortle 6 |
| Blekinge | September to March | 0 of 2 | KarlshamnBortle 6 |
| Halland | October to March | 0 of 3 | FalkenbergBortle 6 |
| Gotland | October to March | 0 of 1 | VisbyBortle 7 |
| Östergötland | October to March | 0 of 3 | MotalaBortle 7 |
| Södermanland | October to March | 0 of 3 | KatrineholmBortle 7 |
| Värmland | October to March | 0 of 1 | KarlstadBortle 8 |
| Västmanland | October to March | 0 of 1 | VästeråsBortle 8 |
The darkest places in Sweden to see the Milky Way
- Töfsingdalen National Park Dalarna · Bortle 221.90
- Pieljekaise National Park Norrbotten · Bortle 221.90
- Hamra National Park Gävleborg · Bortle 321.88
- Sonfjället National Park Jämtland · Bortle 321.88
- Sarek National Park Norrbotten · Bortle 321.87
- Fulufjället National Park Dalarna · Bortle 321.86
- Stora Sjöfallet National Park Norrbotten · Bortle 321.85
- Padjelanta National Park Norrbotten · Bortle 321.81
- Björnlandet National Park Västerbotten · Bortle 321.81
- Muddus National Park Norrbotten · Bortle 321.74
Sky brightness overhead in mag/arcsec²: higher is darker, 21.95 is a natural sky.
Which months have the longest dark nights in Sweden?
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 Sweden gets no full darkness at all.
How the Milky Way dates for Sweden 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