The spectacular sky full of stars depicted in The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh was not the result of a spontaneous fantasy, but the result of the observation of an exact celestial alignment. According to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, it took place minutes before dawn on July 22, 1889, in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, near Avignon. The Dutch artist lived and worked in this town between May 1889 and May 1890.