Luxor Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Luxor
- City
- Luxor
- Country
- Egypt
- Latitude
- 25.6872
- Longitude
- 32.6396
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 18.30
- Bortle class
- Class 8 (Class 8)
- Darkness Quotient
- 26%
- Dataset
- August 2026
City sky
Luxor: The Practical Verdict
Luxor, a mid-size city in Egypt, finds itself under a sky with high light pollution, not ideal for astronomical pursuits. The overall quality of astronomy is poor, with the Milky Way completely erased from view. The primary limiting factor is the bright urban sky background, significantly hampering any deep-sky observations.
While seasoned astronomers will find the Moon, planets, bright stars, and some solar system events worth observing from Luxor, deep-sky observing is largely impractical. Targets best suited for this location include double stars and narrowband imaging, though care must be taken due to the pervasive urban glow. Visual deep-sky observing should generally be avoided.
For those seeking darker skies, heading east south east about 150 km towards a Bortle 3 site will yield a significant improvement. This site offers a more conducive environment for observing faint astronomical phenomena, making the longer drive worthwhile for deep-sky enthusiasts.
At a Glance
- Overall
- Poor city sky - This is a poor city sky. The Milky Way is not visible and most deep-sky observing is unrealistic from the location itself.
- Milky Way
- Not visible - The Milky Way is erased by the bright urban sky background.
- 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
- 156 km ESE sits about 156 km east south east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 19x darker.
- Good dark window
- Luxor'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 Luxor?
No. Luxor is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.30, 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 Luxor?
Luxor is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.30), a poor city sky for astronomy.
Is Luxor good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Luxor is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Luxor good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Luxor and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Luxor without careful processing.
What can you observe from Luxor?
Primary targets from Luxor 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 Luxor?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is 93 km E, about 93 km east of Luxor, reaching Bortle 4.
When is the sky darkest in Luxor?
The sky over Luxor is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Luxor getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Luxor has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - good
Dark horizon to the north. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
north-north-east - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the north-north-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
north-east - fair
A trace of skyglow near the north-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
east-north-east - fair
Faint glow on the east-north-east horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
east - good
Dark sky in the east direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
east-south-east - good
No noticeable light pollution to the east-south-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
south-east - good
Dark horizon to the south-east. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
south-south-east - good
Dark sky in the south-south-east direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south - good
The south horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
south-south-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the south-south-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
south-west - fair
Faint glow on the south-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
west-south-west - fair
A trace of skyglow near the west-south-west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
west-north-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the west-north-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
north-west - good
Dark sky in the north-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
north-north-west - good
Dark horizon to the north-north-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
zenith - marginal
The zenith sky is clearly elevated above natural levels. Limiting magnitude is around 3.5.
-
95 km ENE
- Direction
- ENE
- Distance (km)
- 94.7
- SQM
- 21.00
- Bortle
- 4
-
93 km E
- Direction
- E
- Distance (km)
- 92.6
- SQM
- 20.86
- Bortle
- 4
-
156 km ESE
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 155.7
- SQM
- 21.48
- Bortle
- 3
-
137 km NNE
- Direction
- NNE
- Distance (km)
- 137.2
- SQM
- 20.54
- Bortle
- 5