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Live Sky Report

What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali?

Waxing Crescent moon at 35%, Saturn shines at magnitude 0.3. Calculated for 13.55°, -7.45° (Africa/Bamako).

Moon
Waxing Crescent
35% lit
Sunset
6:09 PM
Dusk 7:20 PM
Dark hours
9.8 h
Dawn 5:09 AM
Aurora
Needs Kp 9+
Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury — brightest: Saturn at mag 0.3 in Cetus

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali — Saturday, October 17

⭐ StargazingPoor
🌙 MoonWaxing Crescent • 35% Illumination
🪐 Visible planetsMercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
🌠 Meteor activityOrionids in 4 days
🌌 Milky WayMuted by moonlight tonight
🛰️ ISSNo visible ISS pass in the next 5 predicted passes
🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 2.3)
☁️ Cloud cover80%
🌡️ Temperature81°F

Weather observed: 12:15 AM UTC · Space weather observed: 9:00 PM UTC

Tonight's sky above Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali

Whether tonight is a good night for stargazing from Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali comes down to four real things: the Moon phase, cloud cover, which planets are up, and the current Kp index.

Local sky character in Banamba

Tropical / equatorial latitudes · northern hemisphere · 378 m elevation

  • The north celestial pole stands 13.5° above the horizon, so stars within 14° of it never set from here.
  • About 61.7% of the whole sky rises above the horizon at some point in the year from this latitude.
  • The Milky Way's core in Sagittarius culminates about 47.5° up, clearing the horizon haze comfortably.
  • The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 6.8° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
  • At 378 m elevation, roughly 4% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Pole altitude
13.5°
Sky reachable
61.7%
Milky Way core
47.5° max
Aurora borealis
Kp 9+

Banamba is small enough that local light domes are limited — on a clear, moonless night the Milky Way is realistically within reach.

PoorSky Viewing Conditions tonight

What does this mean for you?

Your Sky Briefing

Right now
The sky is currently too bright for stargazing or aurora viewing.
Tonight
Cloud cover is the main factor limiting visibility tonight.
Aurora
Current geomagnetic activity (Kp 2.3, quiet) is not strong enough to bring the aurora to your latitude.
Weather
No significant rain, wind or temperature extremes are expected overnight.

Tonight is not a strong night for stargazing -- check back tomorrow.

Best nights this month in Banamba

Calculated for these coordinates and today's date — not a fixed list.

  • 2026-10-21 — Orionids peak — up to 20/hour

    Radiant in Orion. Visible from both hemispheres. The Moon is 72% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is moderate.

  • 2026-10-26 — Full Moon

    A 100%-lit Moon washes out faint objects, but lunar terrain along the limb is at its most striking — plan bright targets and planets instead of deep sky.

  • 2026-11-05 — Taurids peak — up to 5/hour

    Radiant in Taurus. Favours the Northern Hemisphere, which includes Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali. The Moon is 18% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is low.

  • 2026-11-09 — Darkest night of the coming month

    The Moon is only 0% illuminated, giving the least lunar interference in the next 30 nights — the best window for the Milky Way and faint deep-sky targets from Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali.

Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali?
Tonight from Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali expect a waxing crescent Moon at 35% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury. The night offers about 9.8 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali?
Tonight in Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali, Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury are visible to the naked eye after dark, based on this location's real ephemeris for tonight.
When does darkness start tonight in Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali?
Astronomical darkness begins at 7:20 PM local time in Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali tonight, the moment the Sun drops more than 18° below the horizon and the sky becomes fully dark for faint-object observing.
Can you see the aurora tonight in Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali?
Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali is far enough from the pole that aurora only reaches overhead during a major geomagnetic storm — specifically when the planetary Kp index reaches about 9, a level reached only a handful of times per solar cycle.
What is the stargazing light pollution level in Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali?
Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali is a small town — typically Bortle class 1–4 (rural to excellent dark sky), where the Milky Way is usually visible on clear, moonless nights away from local lighting. These are typical ranges for this population size, not a measured reading for this exact spot — use tonight's Moon phase and the best-nights list above to time a visit away from direct lighting.
Can I see both northern and southern constellations from Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali?
Yes — this is the real advantage of an equatorial location. At 13.5° N, about 61.7% of the entire celestial sphere rises at some point in the year, so Polaris-side constellations and the Southern Cross region are both reachable across the seasons.
How good is the Milky Way from Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali?
The Galactic Centre culminates around 47.5° above the horizon from here, high enough to clear most horizon haze. Local cloud and humidity, not geometry, are usually the limiting factor at tropical latitudes.
Are there seasons for stargazing in Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali?
Night length barely changes at this latitude — twilight is short and the Sun sets steeply, so darkness arrives quickly all year. What changes is which part of the sky is on view after sunset, and, in monsoon-affected regions, how often the sky is clear at all.
How dark does it actually get in Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali tonight?
About 9.8 hours of astronomical darkness (Sun more than 18° below the horizon). That is the real observing window for faint objects; brighter targets are workable from dusk onward.

Nearby cities

Real great-circle distance from Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali.

More in Koulikoro

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across Mali

Other cities in Mali with live sky reports.

Popular astronomy destinations

Aurora hubs, dark-sky sites, and observatory towns.

🛰️ ISS Visibility

No visible ISS passes currently predicted for this location.

☄️ Orionids peaks in 4 days

Up to 20 meteors/hour at peak, radiating from Orion.

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Banamba?

This page goes beyond ordinary astronomy weather -- it combines real local weather for astronomy, live space weather, and the space weather aurora connection into one live report for Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Banamba?

The sky viewing conditions badge above reflects the real astronomy viewing conditions for Banamba, Koulikoro, Mali right now -- cloud cover, darkness, and moon interference combined, not moon phase alone. Good weather for stargazing depends on all of these together.