Wae Rebo Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

21.80

Bortle class

Class 2 (Class 2)

Darkness Quotient

93%

Dataset

July 2026

Typical truly dark site

Wae Rebo: The Practical Verdict

Wae Rebo is a remote village nestled in the region of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, renowned for its pristine dark sky conditions. The stargazing quality here is described as very strong, making it a superb dark-sky destination. Any marginal brightness at this location is primarily towards the west-north-west, ensuring an excellent viewing experience around the southern horizon.

Under these skies, the Milky Way is prominently visible on moonless nights, offering a marvel of structure and contrast. Observers will find that galaxies, nebulae, globular clusters, and open clusters are easily within reach, as well as opportunities for widefield nightscape photography. Virtually all celestial targets benefit from the clarity of this location, with no specific objects to avoid due to light concerns. Even very low-altitude targets become realistic when conditions are favourable.

There is no compelling reason to leave Wae Rebo for darker skies since it is already among the darkest locations in the area. Enjoy the remarkable night skies from this site, especially during clear evenings.

At a Glance

Overall

Very strong dark sky - This is a very strong dark-sky location where the Milky Way, faint stars, nebulae, and galaxies are realistically accessible.

Milky Way

Clearly visible - The Milky Way should be prominent on moonless nights, with visible structure and strong contrast.

Best targets from here

Milky Way, galaxies, nebulae, globular clusters, open clusters, meteor showers

Do not prioritise

none due to light pollution alone

Already a strong sky

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

Long dark window

Wae Rebo 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 Wae Rebo?

Yes. Wae Rebo reaches Bortle 2, dark enough that the Milky Way is clearly visible on clear, moonless nights.

What Bortle class is Wae Rebo?

Wae Rebo is Bortle Class 2 (SQM 21.80), a very strong dark sky for astronomy.

Is Wae Rebo good for stargazing?

Yes. Wae Rebo is a very strong dark sky and supports serious stargazing including deep-sky observing.

Is Wae Rebo good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Wae Rebo?

Primary targets from Wae Rebo include Milky Way, galaxies, nebulae, globular clusters, open clusters. Targets such as none due to light pollution alone are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Wae Rebo?

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

When is the sky darkest in Wae Rebo?

The sky over Wae Rebo is darkest around May, June.

Is light pollution in Wae Rebo getting better or worse?

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

• Borik, East Nusa Tenggara

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  5

  SQM

  21.82

  Bortle

  2

• Kambata Wundut, East Nusa Tenggara

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  109.5

  SQM

  21.84

  Bortle

  2

• Lanamai, East Nusa Tenggara

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  69.4

  SQM

  21.82

  Bortle

  2