Scientists Suggest Van Gogh's Starry Night Depicts Real Sky of July 1889

South Korean researchers have proposed that the sky in Van Gogh's The Starry Night matches the night of July 22, 1889. This challenges the commonly cited June 1889 date for the painting. The team found that the arrangement of stars corresponds with astronomical observations from that evening. They also drew on Van Gogh's letters, which mention weather conditions, to support the idea that he closely observed his surroundings. The findings suggest the painting may be a more faithful record of a real night sky than previously assumed.