Khartoum Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

20.17

Bortle class

Class 6 (Class 6)

Darkness Quotient

51%

Dataset

August 2026

Bright suburban sky

Khartoum: The Practical Verdict

Khartoum, located in the urban centre of Al Khartum State, is a large city. The stargazing here is limited by moderate light pollution, which leaves the night sky devoid of many faint celestial sights. The primary constraint is the brightness that covers the urban landscape, making most deep-sky targets essentially invisible.

In this environment, brighter celestial objects like the Moon, planets, and double stars are your reliable targets. Look to observe bright open clusters and engage in narrowband imaging to successfully capture bright nebula cores. The Milky Way is not visible, and attempts at photographing it will yield little due to the excessive brightness.

For a meaningful improvement, consider travelling to Habiba, about 30 km south-south-east of the city. This spot offers a Bortle 3 sky, much darker and suited for deeper sky pursuits.

At a Glance

Overall

Limited suburban sky - This is a limited sky for astronomy. The brightest targets remain accessible, but faint deep-sky observing is heavily compromised.

Milky Way

Not visible - The sky background is generally too bright for a reliable Milky Way view.

Best targets from here

Moon, planets, double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging, bright nebula cores

Do not prioritise

broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, visual faint nebulae, Milky Way photography

Best nearby upgrade

Habiba, Al Khartum State sits about 31 km south south east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 3.3x darker.

Good dark window

Khartoum 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 Khartoum?

No. Khartoum is a Bortle Class 6 sky with SQM 20.17, 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 Khartoum?

Khartoum is Bortle Class 6 (SQM 20.17), a limited suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Khartoum good for stargazing?

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

Is Khartoum good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Khartoum?

Primary targets from Khartoum include Moon, planets, double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging. Targets such as broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, visual faint nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Khartoum?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Habiba, Al Khartum State, about 31 km south south east of Khartoum, reaching Bortle 3.

When is the sky darkest in Khartoum?

The sky over Khartoum is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Khartoum getting better or worse?

The long-term trend for Khartoum is gradually improving, with the sky darkening by about 0.08 SQM per year.

• Habiba, Al Khartum State

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  31.3

  SQM

  21.45

  Bortle

  3

• Bara بارا, North Kordufan

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  291.1

  SQM

  21.85

  Bortle

  2

• Um Dam Haj Ahmed أم دم حاج أحمد, North Kordufan

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  254.4

  SQM

  21.58

  Bortle

  3