Luxor Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.30

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

26%

Dataset

July 2026

City sky

Luxor: The Practical Verdict

Luxor is a mid-sized city in Egypt with a dense urban setting contributing to high light pollution levels. The overall stargazing quality here is poor, with the sky heavily lit and the Milky Way entirely erased by the urban glow. Light pollution from the city's east-north-east sector significantly impinges on visibility.

Resilient targets like the Moon, planets, and double stars remain visible despite the conditions. Solar system events and the brightest stars can also be observed, albeit with less clarity than in darker sites. Deep-sky observers and those interested in exploring the Milky Way will find their pursuits frustrated due to the washout effect of the bright city sky.

For meaningful deep-sky observing, the Red Sea area to the east offers a substantially darker setting, with a sky quality comparable to Bortle 3. This site can be reached within a drive of around two hours, a worthwhile trip for experiencing sharply reduced light pollution and enhanced celestial vistas.

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

Red Sea sits about 90 km east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 16x 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 New Valley, about 23 km east of Luxor, reaching Bortle 6.

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.

• New Valley

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  23.4

  SQM

  19.88

  Bortle

  6

• Red Sea

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  90

  SQM

  21.32

  Bortle

  3

• 94 km ENE

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  94.3

  SQM

  20.84

  Bortle

  4

• 116 km E

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  116

  SQM

  21.10

  Bortle

  4

• Red Sea

  Direction

  NNE

  Distance (km)

  144.5

  SQM

  20.82

  Bortle

  4

• Red Sea

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  222.7

  SQM

  21.49

  Bortle

  3