bukit wairinding Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

21.75

Bortle class

Class 2 (Class 2)

Darkness Quotient

91%

Dataset

August 2026

Typical truly dark site

bukit wairinding: The Practical Verdict

Bukit Wairinding in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, is a remote dark site with a very strong dark sky quality. It represents a truly dark site, offering excellent conditions for astronomical observations without the need for further travel. The site benefits from clear skies, making it suitable for high-quality stargazing.

The Milky Way is prominently visible here on moonless nights, with structure and contrast readily discernible. This remote site provides excellent visibility for deep sky targets such as galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters, as well as excellent conditions for meteor showers, broadband imaging, and widefield nightscape photography. No specific targets need to be avoided due to light pollution.

This location is already among the darkest available in the area; thus, there is no practical need to seek a darker site nearby. The conditions it offers are ample for thorough astronomical observation throughout the year.

At a Glance

Overall

Very strong dark sky - This is a very strong dark-sky location where the Milky Way, faint stars, nebulae, and galaxies are realistically accessible.

Milky Way

Clearly visible - The Milky Way should be prominent on moonless nights, with visible structure and strong contrast.

Best targets from here

Milky Way, galaxies, nebulae, globular clusters, open clusters, meteor showers

Do not prioritise

none due to light pollution alone

Already a strong sky

bukit wairinding is already a strong astronomy location. There is no obvious reason to travel for a darker sky.

Long dark window

bukit wairinding 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 bukit wairinding?

Yes. bukit wairinding reaches Bortle 2, dark enough that the Milky Way is clearly visible on clear, moonless nights.

What Bortle class is bukit wairinding?

bukit wairinding is Bortle Class 2 (SQM 21.75), a very strong dark sky for astronomy.

Is bukit wairinding good for stargazing?

Yes. bukit wairinding is a very strong dark sky and supports serious stargazing including deep-sky observing.

Is bukit wairinding good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is realistic from bukit wairinding. Narrowband imaging of bright emission nebulae remains viable from bukit wairinding with appropriate Ha or OIII filters.

What can you observe from bukit wairinding?

Primary targets from bukit wairinding include Milky Way, galaxies, nebulae, globular clusters, open clusters. Targets such as none due to light pollution alone are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near bukit wairinding?

No meaningfully darker mapped site was found within the search radius around bukit wairinding.

When is the sky darkest in bukit wairinding?

The sky over bukit wairinding is darkest around May, June.

Is light pollution in bukit wairinding getting better or worse?

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

• Mandahu, East Nusa Tenggara

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  20

  SQM

  21.82

  Bortle

  2

• Prai Bokul, East Nusa Tenggara

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  44.7

  SQM

  21.84

  Bortle

  2

• Kangeli, East Nusa Tenggara

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  30.7

  SQM

  21.80

  Bortle

  2