Copenhagen Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Copenhagen

City
Copenhagen
Country
Denmark
Latitude
55.6761
Longitude
12.5683

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
17.45
Bortle class
Class 9 (Class 9)
Darkness Quotient
19%
Dataset
August 2026

Inner city sky

Copenhagen: The Practical Verdict

Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is a major city with a population of approximately 1.3 million. The level of light pollution is extreme, resulting in a severe urban sky with the Milky Way completely obscured. Stargazing here is profoundly limited by substantial city lights from both within and surrounding areas, particularly towards the west-north-west.

In this intensely bright sky, stargazers are largely restricted to observing the Moon, planets, and bright stars. Double stars and certain solar system events can also be appreciated, but attempts to view deep-sky objects will be frustrated by the intense urban glow. Focusing on narrowband imaging is feasible with care, yet broadband observations will suffer considerably.

For sky enthusiasts seeking darker skies, Hovmarken in Region Zealand offers a significant improvement. This location, about 80 km to the south, provides a better observing environment with a Bortle 2 sky and a notable increase in visibility of deep-sky targets.

At a Glance

Overall
Severe urban sky - This is a severely light-polluted urban sky. Only the Moon, planets, bright stars, and a few specialist targets remain practical.
Milky Way
Not visible - The Milky Way is not visible from this sky.
Best targets from here
Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events, narrowband imaging only with care
Do not prioritise
visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, widefield Milky Way
Best nearby upgrade
Hovmarken, Region Zealand sits about 78 km south and reaches Bortle 2, roughly 51x darker.
Moderate dark window
Copenhagen's limiting factor is not only light pollution. Around midsummer, Copenhagen loses true astronomical darkness entirely, so deep-sky observing and imaging are strongly seasonal. Plan serious sessions around the darker months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Copenhagen?

No. Copenhagen is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.45, so the Milky Way is not visible from the city. For Milky Way photography, look for a Bortle 4 or darker site.

What Bortle class is Copenhagen?

Copenhagen is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.45), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Copenhagen good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Copenhagen is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.

Is Copenhagen good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Copenhagen and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Copenhagen without careful processing.

What can you observe from Copenhagen?

Primary targets from Copenhagen include Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Copenhagen?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Jonstrup, Capital Region of Denmark, about 40 km west of Copenhagen, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Copenhagen?

The sky over Copenhagen is darkest around January, December. Major high-latitude limitation: around 94 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Copenhagen getting better or worse?

Long-term light pollution over Copenhagen has been broadly stable across the available measurements.

north - good

The north sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.

north-north-east - good

Dark horizon to the north-north-east. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.

north-east - good

The north-east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.

east-north-east - good

Dark horizon to the east-north-east. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.

east - good

The east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.

east-south-east - good

The east-south-east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.

south-east - good

No noticeable light pollution to the south-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.

south-south-east - good

No noticeable light pollution to the south-south-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.

south - good

Dark sky in the south direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.

south-south-west - good

Dark horizon to the south-south-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.

south-west - good

Dark horizon to the south-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.

west-south-west - fair

A faint diffuse glow on the west-south-west horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.

west - fair

A trace of skyglow near the west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

west-north-west - fair

Faint glow on the west-north-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.

north-west - fair

A trace of skyglow near the north-west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

north-north-west - fair

Faint glow on the north-north-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.

zenith - poor

The zenith is bright enough to be obvious without dark adaptation. The Milky Way is not visible.

  • Lestrup, Region Zealand
    Direction
    WNW
    Distance (km)
    58.6
    SQM
    21.27
    Bortle
    4
  • Jonstrup, Capital Region of Denmark
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    40.3
    SQM
    20.18
    Bortle
    6
  • Hovmarken, Region Zealand
    Direction
    S
    Distance (km)
    77.5
    SQM
    21.72
    Bortle
    2
  • OregĂĄrd Huse, Region Zealand
    Direction
    SSW
    Distance (km)
    67.1
    SQM
    21.22
    Bortle
    4
  • Hallaröd
    Direction
    ENE
    Distance (km)
    63.7
    SQM
    20.54
    Bortle
    5
  • Sorø Municipality, Region Zealand
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    64.7
    SQM
    20.54
    Bortle
    5