Pedangkamulyan Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

21.24

Bortle class

Class 4 (Class 4)

Darkness Quotient

76%

Dataset

July 2026

Rural/suburban transition

Pedangkamulyan: The Practical Verdict

Pedangkamulyan is nestled in the remote areas of West Java, offering a tranquil dark-sky retreat well away from urban light pollution. The sky here promises a good workable condition for astronomy, where the heavens are neither tainted by city lights nor entirely pristine. However, under clear skies, the Milky Way may offer a faint or conditional glimpse, indicating a low contrast but still rewarding experience.

Bright galaxies, emission nebulae, and open clusters are accessible targets from Pedangkamulyan under favourable conditions. Globular clusters and widefield imaging also shine, while very low surface-brightness objects should be avoided here. The clearest views are towards the south-west, whilst the east-north-east horizon has slightly more brightness.

This site presents a strong dark-sky location of its own, rendering additional travel unnecessary for substantially darker skies. The darkest conditions can be experienced directly from here, making Pedangkamulyan a prime destination for those looking to engage in productive stargazing without straying far afield.

At a Glance

Overall

Good workable sky - This is a good workable astronomy location. The sky is not pristine, but many deep-sky targets remain accessible.

Milky Way

Faint or conditional - The Milky Way may be visible under transparent, moonless conditions, but it will not have strong dark-site contrast.

Best targets from here

bright galaxies, emission nebulae, open clusters, globular clusters, Milky Way under good conditions, widefield imaging

Do not prioritise

very low surface-brightness objects, ambitious Milky Way photography under mediocre transparency

Already a strong sky

Pedangkamulyan is already a strong astronomy location. There is no obvious reason to travel for a darker sky.

Long dark window

Pedangkamulyan 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 Pedangkamulyan?

Conditionally. From Pedangkamulyan the Milky Way may show as a faint suggestion under transparent, moonless conditions, but it lacks dark-site contrast.

What Bortle class is Pedangkamulyan?

Pedangkamulyan is Bortle Class 4 (SQM 21.24), a good workable sky for astronomy.

Is Pedangkamulyan good for stargazing?

Partly. Pedangkamulyan offers a good workable sky where many bright targets remain accessible, but the faintest deep-sky work is compromised.

Is Pedangkamulyan good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is realistic from Pedangkamulyan. Narrowband imaging of bright emission nebulae remains viable from Pedangkamulyan with appropriate Ha or OIII filters.

What can you observe from Pedangkamulyan?

Primary targets from Pedangkamulyan include bright galaxies, emission nebulae, open clusters, globular clusters, Milky Way under good conditions. Targets such as very low surface-brightness objects, ambitious Milky Way photography under mediocre transparency are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Pedangkamulyan?

No meaningfully darker mapped site was found within the search radius around Pedangkamulyan.

When is the sky darkest in Pedangkamulyan?

The sky over Pedangkamulyan is darkest around May, October.

Is light pollution in Pedangkamulyan getting better or worse?

There is not yet enough long-term data to give a confident trend for Pedangkamulyan.

• Tasikmalaya, West Java

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  13.8

  SQM

  21.54

  Bortle

  3

• Dusun Sukajaya, West Java

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  15.1

  SQM

  21.36

  Bortle

  3

• Tasikmalaya, West Java

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  36.1

  SQM

  21.40

  Bortle

  3