Cairo Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Cairo
- City
- Cairo
- Country
- Egypt
- Latitude
- 30.0444
- Longitude
- 31.2357
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.13
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 17%
- Dataset
- May 2026
Inner city sky
Cairo: The Practical Verdict
Cairo, as a global metropolis, poses considerable obstacles for astronomers due to its extreme light pollution. The sky qualifies as a severe urban sky where only the brightest celestial bodies can be seen. The primary limiting factor is the pervasive urban glow.
From Cairo, you can still enjoy viewing targets like the Moon, bright planets, and notable double stars. These are largely visible despite the overwhelming light pollution. However, the Milky Way is entirely absent from view, and attempts at capturing faint deep-sky objects or preparing for meteor showers are largely unsuccessful.
For the best stargazing experiences, one of the most compelling upgrades is a trip to Matruh, located about 290 km west-south-west. Here, the skies are considerably darker and well-suited for serious astronomical observing.
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
- Matruh sits about 292 km west south west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 52x 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 17.13, 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 17.13), 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 Giza, about 50 km west of Cairo, reaching Bortle 7.
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.
north - marginal
Noticeable glow on the north horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
north-north-east - poor
Heavy light pollution to the north-north-east. The lower 30 degrees of sky in this direction are unusable for faint targets.
north-east - poor
The north-east sky is washed out near the horizon. Most constellation stars in the lower sky here are not visible.
east-north-east - poor
The east-north-east horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.
east - poor
The lower east sky is heavily light-polluted. Only the brightest stars stand out near the horizon.
east-south-east - poor
The east-south-east sky is washed out near the horizon. Most constellation stars in the lower sky here are not visible.
south-east - marginal
Noticeable glow on the south-east horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
south-south-east - poor
Strong skyglow on the south-south-east horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.
south - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the south horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
south-south-west - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the south-south-west horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
south-west - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the south-west horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
west-south-west - poor
The lower west-south-west sky is heavily light-polluted. Only the brightest stars stand out near the horizon.
west - poor
The west horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.
west-north-west - marginal
Noticeable glow on the west-north-west horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
north-west - marginal
The north-west sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
north-north-west - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the north-north-west horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
zenith - poor
The zenith is bright enough to be obvious without dark adaptation. The Milky Way is not visible.
-
Giza
- Direction
- W
- Distance (km)
- 50.4
- SQM
- 19.25
- Bortle
- 7
-
Beheira Governorate
- Direction
- NW
- Distance (km)
- 89.6
- SQM
- 19.56
- Bortle
- 7
-
Gharbia
- Direction
- NNW
- Distance (km)
- 100.6
- SQM
- 19.74
- Bortle
- 6
-
Sharqia Governorate
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 79.9
- SQM
- 19.07
- Bortle
- 7
-
Matruh
- Direction
- WSW
- Distance (km)
- 292.3
- SQM
- 21.43
- Bortle
- 3
-
South Sinai
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 293.9
- SQM
- 21.35
- Bortle
- 3