Culture
New study: Van Gogh's “The Starry Night” may show the dawn sky of July 22, 1889
Researchers at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, in a study in “Scientific Reports,” suggest the painting was not made in June, as believed. A waning Moon and Venus match the composition.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 25, 2026, 12:30 · Updated 18:40 · 2 min read
In brief
- The painting is traditionally dated to June 1889, but the Moon's phase that month does not match the thin crescent on the canvas.
- The researchers combined astronomical simulations, weather data, Van Gogh's letters and his sketches.
- The authors say the findings do not rule out artistic interpretation and are not a final confirmation of the date.
One of the world's best-known paintings may have a more precise date. According to an astronomical study published in the journal “Scientific Reports,” Vincent van Gogh's “The Starry Night” may depict a real view of the sky over Saint-Rémy, France, at dawn on July 22, 1889. The news was reported by ATSH, citing the Italian agency ANSA.
The study was carried out by researchers at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, in cooperation with a South Korean company. The work is traditionally dated to June 1889, based on a letter Van Gogh sent to his brother Theo around June 18. But the Moon's phase in June does not match the thin crescent seen in the painting.
How the new date was reached
The researchers combined astronomical simulations, measurements of star positions, historical weather data, analysis of the painter's letters and earlier landscape sketches to reconstruct the painting's narrow field of view. According to them, at dawn on July 22, 1889, a waning Moon and Venus could have been seen in a configuration roughly similar to the one on the canvas.
Historical weather data indicate that atmospheric conditions may have been suitable for stargazing, while Van Gogh's frequent references to cicadas in his letters support the idea of a hot period such as July. The researchers also identified a likely viewpoint in Saint-Rémy and found matches between five central stars in the painting and a star cluster.
Art, not a photograph
The authors stress that the findings suggest the painter may have drawn on a real astronomical configuration, but this does not rule out artistic interpretation and is not necessarily a final confirmation of the exact date.
