Scientists Suggest Precise Date for Van Gogh's Starry Night

Vincent van Gogh's most famous sky now has a likely date: July 22, 1889. A new study in Scientific Reports argues that The Starry Night captures the pre-dawn sky over France's Saint-Rémy-de-Provence on that morning, when a slim crescent moon, bright Venus, and the Hyades star cluster in Taurus would have appeared close together—just as they do in the painting, reports Popular Science. Researchers blended astronomical simulations, historical weather logs, Van Gogh's letters, and sketches to narrow in on the timing.

Earlier scholars tied the work to June, based on a letter the artist sent to his brother on the 18th of that month, describing "a new study of a starry sky," per the Guardian. But the moon's phase at that time didn't match the final painting, said to have been inspired by the view outside Van Gogh's asylum window. Researchers ultimately identified three dates that aligned with the weather and star configuration seen in the painting, but July 22 was the closest match. (PopSci shares a diagram of just how close.) July's hotter temperatures also better fit with Van Gogh's written mention of cicadas, according to the study. (Experts say the painting reflects an energy theory not articulated during the artist's lifetime.)