Luxor Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.25

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

25%

Dataset

April 2026

City sky

Luxor: The Practical Verdict

Luxor is a mid-size city in Egypt, recognised for its historical significance and urban setting. For astronomy, however, it offers a poor-quality sky marred by notable light pollution. Observing conditions here severely limit visibility, particularly for deep-sky objects.

Key observations include the Moon, planets, bright double stars, and solar system features. Narrowband imaging can yield results with careful setup, but general deep-sky astrophotography and widefield views are impractical under these conditions. The Milky Way is entirely invisible due to the prevailing urban glare, and meteor shower observing is also suboptimal.

For significantly improved stargazing, visiting the Red Sea region to the east-south-east, about 190 km away, is recommended. This darker location offers Bortle 3 skies suitable for deep-sky observations and astrophotography, making it worthwhile.

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 189 km east south east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 21x 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 18.25, 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 18.25), 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 Qena, about 86 km east north 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.

• Qena

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  85.5

  SQM

  21.22

  Bortle

  4

• Red Sea

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  100.1

  SQM

  21.04

  Bortle

  4

• Red Sea

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  120.6

  SQM

  20.42

  Bortle

  5

• Red Sea

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  189.3

  SQM

  21.53

  Bortle

  3