Bringing the night sky into the heart of Aarhus

On Sunday 6 September, streetlights, façade lighting and lights in several central buildings were switched off around Musikhusparken and Rådhusparken. The occasion was Seeing Stars, which brought Aarhus Festival 2026 to a close by creating a rare moment of darkness in the heart of the city.

Created by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde and Studio Roosegaarde, the artwork was based on a simple principle: Lights off, stars on. For an hour and a half, artificial light was reduced across part of central Aarhus, allowing the night sky to become more visible above the city.

As darkness gradually fell over Aarhus, more and more people gathered in Festugeparken ahead of the start of Seeing Stars. Watch the evening unfold in the time-lapse below.

SpaCe – Aarhus Space Centre participated together with Ole Rømer Observatory and the Remote Teaching Telescope, FUT. Telescopes were set up in Festugeparken, where visitors could explore selected stars, planets and other celestial objects and meet students and astronomers from Aarhus University.

The astronomical activities added a scientific and educational dimension to the artwork. While Seeing Stars invited the city to experience darkness collectively, the telescopes provided an opportunity to look more closely at what becomes visible when artificial light is reduced.

Bringing astronomy closer

Associate Professor Karsten Brogaard from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Aarhus University participated with students and telescopes connected to FUT.

FUT – the Remote Teaching Telescope – is an outreach and teaching initiative that gives school pupils, students and members of the public access to astronomical observations. Its main telescope is located at Mount Kent Observatory in Australia and can be operated remotely from Denmark. For Seeing Stars, FUT brought Seestar S50 telescopes into the centre of Aarhus, giving visitors an opportunity to experience astronomical observation first-hand.

Ahead of the event, Karsten Brogaard spoke about how telescopes and astronomical outreach can bring the universe closer – even in the middle of a city. He also appeared in a video published by Aarhus Festival on the day of the event, introducing the astronomical perspective behind the evening.

SpaCe’s participation in Seeing Stars reflects an important part of the centre’s work: connecting research and education at Aarhus University with public engagement and creating opportunities for people to encounter space and astronomy outside the university.
 

Attention beyond the event

The event also attracted attention beyond Denmark. The German publication Land der Dänen featured Aarhus Space Centre, FUT and the astronomical contribution from Aarhus University in its coverage of Seeing Stars.
In Denmark, the unusual decision to switch off the lights across part of central Aarhus attracted considerable media attention.
TV2 Østjylland followed the project before and during its realisation. Ahead of the event, the regional broadcaster reported on the extensive preparations required to darken the city centre in Bymidte skal mørklægges: – Vi har styr på det
Following the event, TV2 Østjylland covered the actual darkening of the city centre in Her slukkes alt lyset i midtby.
The event was also featured by Jyllands-Posten, which highlighted the rare opportunity to experience the night sky from the centre of Aarhus.
Danish Space News focused specifically on the contribution from Aarhus Space Centre and FUT, while Smilets By i Dag described how SpaCe and Ole Rømer Observatory would enable visitors to explore the night sky through telescopes.

Read more about Seeing Stars on Aarhus Festival’s website and about FUT’s participation.