Stargazing guide
Stargazing in Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary
Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary has an estimated Bortle 4–5 sky (small city). The Milky Way core never climbs 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness from here.
How dark the sky is around Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary, the nearest certified dark-sky places, when the Milky Way core is visible, and the next dark New Moon. Calculated for 47.53°, 21.62°.
Estimated sky glow
Milky Way core
Next New Moon
Dark-sky rating for Debrecen
Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary is a small city (population about 202,402). A place this size typically has a rural to suburban transition: the Milky Way core can be glimpsed on clear, moonless nights. That is an estimate of Bortle class 4–5 from population, not a measurement: the real value depends on the exact spot you observe from.
For a measured reading at any point, open the live Dark Sky map.
Nearest dark-sky places and observatories
- Hortobágy Starry Sky Park · certified dark-sky place · about 47 km away
- Konkoly Observatory (Piszkéstető) · observatory · about 136 km away
Milky Way season in Debrecen
The Milky Way's bright core never climbs 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness from Debrecen; the fainter band is still visible from a dark site.
- The north celestial pole stands 47.5° above the horizon, so stars within 48° of it never set from here.
- About 86.9% of the whole sky rises above the horizon at some point in the year from this latitude.
- The Milky Way's core in Sagittarius culminates about 13.5° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
- At 124 m elevation, roughly 1% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Tonight and aurora
As of October 19, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a First Quarter at 54% illumination. Aurora at 47.5° latitude generally needs about Kp 6.4.
Nearby places
Stargazing in Debrecen: common questions
Is Debrecen a good place for stargazing?
Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary is a small city, so its typical sky is rural to suburban transition: the Milky Way core can be glimpsed on clear, moonless nights (an estimate of Bortle 4–5 from population, not a measurement). The nearest certified dark-sky place or observatory in our registry is Hortobágy Starry Sky Park, about 47 km away.
When can you see the Milky Way from Debrecen?
From Debrecen, Hajdú-Bihar, Hungary the Milky Way's bright core never climbs 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness at any time of year, so the best views are of the fainter parts of the band.
What is the best night this month for stargazing near Debrecen?
The darkest nights fall around the New Moon. As of 2026-10-19 the Moon is a First Quarter at 54% illumination, and the next New Moon is November 9, 2026 (UTC). Pair it with a clear forecast and a site away from town lights.