Banha Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Banha

City
Banha
Country
Egypt
Latitude
30.4618
Longitude
31.1797

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
18.30
Bortle class
Class 8 (Class 8)
Darkness Quotient
26%
Dataset
July 2026

City sky

Banha: The Practical Verdict

Banha, a mid-size city in Egypt's Al Qalyubiya region, experiences high light pollution limiting its suitability for astronomy. The urban sky's brilliance means sky conditions are poor for city star gazing, with the Milky Way rendered invisible.

Under such conditions, focusing on the brightest objects is key. The Moon, planets, and double stars remain accessible targets, alongside narrowband imaging. Broad deep-sky observing and capturing faint celestial details prove challenging due to the overpowering glow.

Options for improvement exist, though they bring only limited gains. The area near Al Nubaria, about 100 km west-north-west, offers marginally darker skies. However, transparency and local conditions may impact results as much as the change in sky quality.

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
Limited nearby upgrade
Al Nubaria, Lake is the strongest nearby option but remains Bortle 6; the improvement is real but modest.
Good dark window
Banha's longest dark windows fall in December and January, with the shortest nights around June and July. Plan deep-sky sessions around the autumn and winter months for the best combination of long nights and true astronomical darkness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Banha?

No. Banha is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.30, 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 Banha?

Banha is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.30), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Banha good for stargazing?

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

Is Banha good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Banha?

Primary targets from Banha 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 Banha?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Al Mustaqbal Poultry Investment, Lake, about 54 km west south west of Banha, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Banha?

The sky over Banha is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Banha getting better or worse?

Long-term light pollution over Banha has been broadly stable across the available measurements.

north - fair

Faint glow on the north horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.

north-north-east - fair

The north-north-east sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.

north-east - fair

A trace of skyglow near the north-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

east-north-east - fair

A trace of skyglow near the east-north-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

east - fair

A trace of skyglow near the east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

east-south-east - fair

Light glow detectable on the east-south-east horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.

south-east - fair

Light glow detectable on the south-east horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.

south-south-east - fair

Light glow detectable on the south-south-east horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.

south - fair

A trace of skyglow near the south horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

south-south-west - fair

Faint glow on the south-south-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.

south-west - fair

Faint glow on the south-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.

west-south-west - fair

The west-south-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.

west - fair

The west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.

west-north-west - fair

Light glow detectable on the west-north-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.

north-west - fair

The north-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.

north-north-west - fair

A faint diffuse glow on the north-north-west horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.

zenith - marginal

The zenith is brighter than natural. The Milky Way cannot be seen and faint deep-sky objects are not accessible.

  • Al Mustaqbal Poultry Investment, Lake
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    54
    SQM
    19.80
    Bortle
    6
  • Lake
    Direction
    WNW
    Distance (km)
    67.2
    SQM
    19.88
    Bortle
    6
  • Tamy Al Amdid City And Ezbet Asem and Afifi, Ad Daqahliyya
    Direction
    NNE
    Distance (km)
    60.6
    SQM
    19.62
    Bortle
    6
  • Kafr El Sheikh
    Direction
    SE
    Distance (km)
    73.1
    SQM
    19.80
    Bortle
    6
  • Al Nubaria, Lake
    Direction
    WNW
    Distance (km)
    101.2
    SQM
    20.16
    Bortle
    6
  • Shubra Khit, Lake
    Direction
    NW
    Distance (km)
    72.3
    SQM
    19.60
    Bortle
    7