Cairo Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

17.37

Bortle class

Class 9 (Class 9)

Darkness Quotient

18%

Dataset

April 2026

Inner city sky

Cairo: The Practical Verdict

Cairo, as a vast and dense global metropolis, suffers from severe light pollution, leaving its skies categorised under the extreme light pollution tier. This restricts stargazing significantly, and deep-sky observations are almost entirely ruled out. The Milky Way is completely absent from the sky here, and the overall experience is limited by the intense urban glow.

From within Cairo, practical stargazing targets include the Moon, planets, and the brightest of stars, which remain discernible even under the city's heavy light dome. For astrophotographers, narrowband imaging can mitigate some effects of the sky brightness, but care is needed, and broadband deep-sky imaging will likely prove frustrating.

For those seeking better observing options, Al Minya, situated to the south-south-east about 250 km away, offers a marked improvement with darker skies and better conditions for deep-sky astronomers. It's worth considering for a meaningful upgrade in sky clarity and target accessibility.

At a Glance

Overall

Severe urban sky - This is a severely light-polluted urban sky. Only the Moon, planets, bright stars, and a few specialist targets remain practical.

Milky Way

Not visible - The Milky Way is not visible from this sky.

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

Al Minya sits about 256 km south south east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 26x darker.

Good dark window

Cairo'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 Cairo?

No. Cairo is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.37, 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 Cairo?

Cairo is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.37), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Cairo good for stargazing?

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

Is Cairo good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Cairo?

Primary targets from Cairo 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 Cairo?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Suez, about 88 km east south east of Cairo, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Cairo?

The sky over Cairo is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Cairo getting better or worse?

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

• Suez

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  87.5

  SQM

  19.69

  Bortle

  6

• Gharbia

  Direction

  NNW

  Distance (km)

  104.5

  SQM

  19.84

  Bortle

  6

• Beheira Governorate

  Direction

  NW

  Distance (km)

  92.3

  SQM

  19.52

  Bortle

  7

• El Mansura, Ad Dakahliya

  Direction

  NNE

  Distance (km)

  99.4

  SQM

  19.68

  Bortle

  6

• Al Minya

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  256.1

  SQM

  20.92

  Bortle

  4