'Starry Night' by Van Gogh was not the product of his imagination: it matches the sky before dawn on July 22, 1889

A recent study reveals that Vincent van Gogh's 'Starry Night' depicts a real celestial event observed on July 22, 1889, in Saint Remy de Provence. The painting captures a crescent moon, Venus, and the Hyades star cluster, which were closely aligned at dawn. Previous analyses had conflicting conclusions, but this research combines forensic astronomy and historical weather data to confirm the alignment. The study suggests that Van Gogh's depiction was based on actual observations rather than imagination. Future research aims to explore other celestial representations in Van Gogh's works.