Andreas Peter Hovgaard was a Danish naval officer and Arctic explorer.

The Vega Expedition of 1878–1880, named after the SS Vega and under the leadership of Swedish Finnish explorer Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, was the first Arctic expedition to navigate through the Northeast Passage, the sea route between Europe and Asia through the Arctic Ocean, and the first voyage to circumnavigate Eurasia. Initially a troubled enterprise, the successful expedition is considered to be among the highest achievements in the history of Swedish science.