Bandung Institute of Technology Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.81

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

31%

Dataset

May 2026

City sky

Bandung Institute of Technology: The Practical Verdict

Located in West Java, Bandung Institute of Technology sits amidst a backdrop of high light pollution. This condition results in a poor city sky where the visibility is severely limited. The Milky Way is entirely obliterated by the bright urban sky background.

In practice, the best celestial objects to focus on are the Moon, planets, and bright stars, along with double stars and solar system events. While narrowband imaging is possible with care, deep sky observing is highly compromised, and efforts towards capturing faint nebulae or broadband galaxies will be thwarted due to the high sky brightness.

For a substantial improvement in sky quality, Singajaya, located about 70 km south-south-east, offers markedly darker skies. It's a recommended upgrade for those seeking to engage in more serious deep-sky observing away from the city's light dome.

At a Glance

Overall

Poor city sky - This is a poor city sky. The Milky Way is not visible and most deep-sky observing is unrealistic from the location itself.

Milky Way

Not visible - The Milky Way is erased by the bright urban sky background.

Best targets from here

Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events, narrowband imaging only with care

Do not prioritise

visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, widefield Milky Way

Best nearby upgrade

Singajaya, West Java sits about 72 km south south east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 6.3x darker.

Good dark window

Bandung Institute of Technology retains astronomical darkness throughout the year, so seasonality is less extreme than at higher latitudes. The main limitation is light pollution, not the length of the dark window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Bandung Institute of Technology?

No. Bandung Institute of Technology is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.81, so the Milky Way is not visible from the city. For Milky Way photography, look for a Bortle 4 or darker site.

What Bortle class is Bandung Institute of Technology?

Bandung Institute of Technology is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.81), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Bandung Institute of Technology good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Bandung Institute of Technology is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.

Is Bandung Institute of Technology good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Bandung Institute of Technology and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Bandung Institute of Technology without careful processing.

What can you observe from Bandung Institute of Technology?

Primary targets from Bandung Institute of Technology include Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Bandung Institute of Technology?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Sukaluyu, West Java, about 38 km south south west of Bandung Institute of Technology, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Bandung Institute of Technology?

The sky over Bandung Institute of Technology is darkest around May, June.

Is light pollution in Bandung Institute of Technology getting better or worse?

Long-term light pollution over Bandung Institute of Technology has been broadly stable across the available measurements.

• Sukaluyu, West Java

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  37.7

  SQM

  20.34

  Bortle

  5

• Sukabakti, West Java

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  52.2

  SQM

  20.76

  Bortle

  5

• Lengkong, West Java

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  43.2

  SQM

  20.17

  Bortle

  6

• 50 km NNE

  Direction

  NNE

  Distance (km)

  49.9

  SQM

  20.27

  Bortle

  6

• Singajaya, West Java

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  72

  SQM

  20.80

  Bortle

  4

• Kroya, West Java

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  61

  SQM

  20.46

  Bortle

  5