Conakry Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.94

Bortle class

Class 7 (Class 7)

Darkness Quotient

32%

Dataset

May 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Conakry: The Practical Verdict

Conakry, the capital of Guinea, is a major city with significant light pollution, limiting its potential for serious astronomical observation. The sky in Conakry is characterised as a poor urban/suburban transition. This means that the sky is not suitable for observing faint objects or the Milky Way.

In Conakry's night sky, you can realistically focus on the Moon, planets, bright double stars, and certain bright open clusters. Narrowband imaging with careful processing can yield results for bright nebulae. However, visual deep-sky observing is really not practical, and Milky Way photography should be entirely avoided.

For a worthwhile improvement in sky quality, Kipulun in Port Loko District is the best upgrade, located about 105 km to the south south-east. This offers much darker skies and is worth the drive for those interested in more serious astronomy.

At a Glance

Overall

Poor urban/suburban sky - This is a poor sky for astronomy. The Moon, planets, and a few bright objects remain viable, but deep-sky work is difficult.

Milky Way

Not visible - The Milky Way is not realistically visible from this level of light pollution.

Best targets from here

Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing

Do not prioritise

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

Best nearby upgrade

Kipulun, Port Loko District sits about 105 km south south east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 12x darker.

Good dark window

Conakry 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 Conakry?

No. Conakry is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 18.94, 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 Conakry?

Conakry is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 18.94), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Conakry good for stargazing?

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

Is Conakry good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Conakry and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Narrowband imaging of bright emission nebulae remains viable from Conakry with appropriate Ha or OIII filters.

What can you observe from Conakry?

Primary targets from Conakry include Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Conakry?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Arabanty, Kindia Region, about 28 km north of Conakry, reaching Bortle 4.

When is the sky darkest in Conakry?

The sky over Conakry is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Conakry getting better or worse?

The long-term trend for Conakry is gradually worsening, with the sky brightening by about 0.07 SQM per year.

• Arabanty, Kindia Region

  Direction

  N

  Distance (km)

  27.5

  SQM

  20.96

  Bortle

  4

• Kipulun, Port Loko District

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  105

  SQM

  21.68

  Bortle

  3

• Gbereboui, Boké Region

  Direction

  NW

  Distance (km)

  118.2

  SQM

  21.58

  Bortle

  3

• Modogbo, Moyamba District

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  203.3

  SQM

  21.61

  Bortle

  3