Addis Ababa Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Addis Ababa
- City
- Addis Ababa
- Country
- Ethiopia
- Latitude
- 9.0054
- Longitude
- 38.7636
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 18.14
- Bortle class
- Class 8 (Class 8)
- Darkness Quotient
- 24%
- Dataset
- March 2026
City sky
Stargazing conditions in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and a significant cultural, political, and economic hub in eastern Africa. With a Darkness Quotient of 24%, the city falls within the High Light Pollution tier, indicative of substantial light interference for astronomical viewing. Here, the night sky is severely affected by urban glow, allowing for visibility of only the brightest celestial objects such as the Moon and prominent planets. Those seeking substantially darker skies would need to travel considerable distances towards areas like South Wollo, Amhara Region, which offers pristine observing conditions.
The light-pollution environment in the vicinity of Addis Ababa indicates intense urban brightness, significant enough to overwhelm all but the brightest celestial objects. Even moving further than 50 kilometres from the city, improvement in sky darkness requires considerable travel due to the expansive extent of this interference.
Visual characteristics of the city overhead
The zenith over Addis Ababa shows a very bright night sky dominated by urban light spill. Only the most luminous celestial objects like the Moon and brighter planets are likely to stand out.
north - fair
The northern horizon shows moderate light pollution, making only brighter stars and planets stand out.
north-north-east - fair
Skies to the north-north-east are slightly affected by city light, but fainter stars remain mostly obscured.
north-east - fair
Looking north-east, the city glow dampens night sky brightness, with visibility limited to prominent celestial features.
east-north-east - marginal
The east-north-east horizon experiences noticeable light pollution, significantly limiting darker features of the night sky.
east - marginal
The eastern sky reflects significant man-made light, obscuring many celestial features apart from the very brightest.
east-south-east - fair
To the east-south-east, skies are lightly brighter compared to overhead but still too illuminated for in-depth stargazing.
south-east - fair
The south-eastern horizon offers limited viewing clarity due to distant light encroachment.
south-south-east - marginal
Looking south-south-east, a notable glow lowers the contrast of observable astronomical features.
south - marginal
The southern skies display significant urban brightness, concealing most dim stars and objects.
south-south-west - fair
To the south-south-west, the light interference gradually decreases, allowing occasional sightlines to less illuminated regions.
south-west - fair
Skies to the south-west combine urban influence with moderate visibility of celestial highlights.
west-south-west - fair
Facing west-south-west, the impact of city illumination is evident, though conditions slightly improve farther away.
west - fair
The western sky retains a fair quality for detecting bright and distinctive constellations above the urban fallout.
west-north-west - fair
Toward the west-north-west, visibility is fair but still obstructed by city lighting.
north-west - fair
Skies to the north-west present fair observing conditions, impacted marginally by horizontal urban spread.
north-north-west - fair
In the north-north-west direction, the overall light diminishes slightly, though urban skyglow remains dominant.
zenith - poor
Looking straight up from Addis Ababa, the zenith is saturated with light pollution, making astronomical identification challenging.
-
South Wollo, Amhara Region
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 263.8
- SQM
- 21.72
- Bortle
- 2
-
Kemashi, Benishangul-Gumuz Region
- Direction
- WNW
- Distance (km)
- 270.9
- SQM
- 21.71
- Bortle
- 2
-
Zone 3, Afar Region
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 274
- SQM
- 21.70
- Bortle
- 2
Escaping from light pollution in Addis Ababa requires significant travel, with the nearest true dark skies located approximately 265 kilometres east south-east. This distance leads to sites such as the South Wollo, Amhara Region, where exceptional conditions of natural darkness can be experienced.
-
Within 500 km
- Place
- Pending reverse geocode
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 263.8
- SQM
- 21.72
- Bortle
- 2
Long-term trends in sky quality over Addis Ababa
Over the years, the light pollution levels in Addis Ababa have increased steadily, reflecting the expansion and urbanisation of the city. This consistent trend highlights the challenges urban centres face in balancing growth with preserving natural darkness.
From Addis Ababa, only the brightest celestial objects such as the Moon and visible planets are suitable targets due to significant urban light interference. Travel to remote areas is essential for observing more faint objects like the Milky Way and broad nebulae.
- the Moon
- planets
- double stars
- bright nebulae
- brightest open clusters
- Milky Way
- fainter galaxies
- broadband nebulae
- meteor showers
Can you see stars in Addis Ababa?
Yes, but primarily only the brightest stars and a few planets are visible due to the high light pollution levels.
Is the Milky Way visible from Addis Ababa?
No, the Milky Way's faint features are obscured by the city's light pollution.
What is the Bortle class in Addis Ababa?
The city falls under Bortle Class 8, indicating strong urban sky brightness.
What is the sky brightness (SQM) in Addis Ababa?
The sky brightness measures approximately 18.14 mag/arcsec².
Where are the nearest dark skies to Addis Ababa?
The nearest truly dark skies are approximately 265 kilometres east south-east, in locations such as the South Wollo, Amhara Region.
Is Addis Ababa good for astrophotography?
Astrophotography focused on the Moon and planets may be feasible, but deep-sky imaging is severely limited by light pollution.
How far must one drive from Addis Ababa to find darker skies?
To experience significantly darker skies, one would need to travel about 265 kilometres to reach areas like South Wollo, Amhara Region.