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What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda?

Waxing Crescent moon at 2%, Saturn shines at magnitude 0.2. Calculated for 2.77°, 32.30° (Africa/Kampala).

Moon
Waxing Crescent
2% lit
Sunset
6:39 PM
Dusk 7:48 PM
Dark hours
9.6 h
Dawn 5:25 AM
Aurora
Needs Kp 9+
Belt 58°

Visible planets tonight

Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury — brightest: Saturn at mag 0.2 in Cetus

🔭 Tonight's Sky Report

📍 Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda — Sunday, October 11

⭐ StargazingWeather telemetry updating
🌙 MoonWaxing Crescent • 2% Illumination
🪐 Visible planetsMercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
🌠 Meteor activityOrionids in 9 days
🌌 Milky WayVisible after dark, low moonlight
🛰️ ISSNext pass ~Oct 12, 4:52 AM GMT+3
🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 2.3)
☁️ Cloud coverWeather telemetry updating
🌡️ TemperatureWeather telemetry updating

Space weather observed: 7:40 PM UTC

Tonight's sky above Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda

Above Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda tonight, the sky is a live system: the Moon's illumination, which planets have cleared the horizon, and whether Earth's magnetosphere is quiet or churning all change hour by hour.

Local sky character in Gulu

Tropical / equatorial latitudes · northern hemisphere · 1104 m elevation

  • The north celestial pole stands 2.8° above the horizon, so stars within 3° of it never set from here.
  • About 52.4% 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 58.2° up, clearing the horizon haze comfortably.
  • The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 17.5° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
  • At 1104 m elevation, roughly 12% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Pole altitude
2.8°
Sky reachable
52.4%
Milky Way core
58.2° max
Aurora borealis
Kp 9+

Gulu is a town-scale settlement, so the edge of the built-up area is often dark enough for the Milky Way on moonless nights.

Loading live sky conditions…

Best nights this month in Gulu

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.

  • 2026-10-25 — 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 Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda. The Moon is 18% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is low.

  • 2026-11-08 — 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 Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda.

Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda?
Tonight from Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda expect a waxing crescent Moon at 2% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury. The night offers about 9.6 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda?
Tonight in Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda, 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 Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda?
Astronomical darkness begins at 7:48 PM local time in Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda 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 Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda?
Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda 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 Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda?
Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda is a small city — typically Bortle class 4–5 (rural/suburban transition), where the Milky Way core can be glimpsed on clear, moonless nights. 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 Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda?
Yes — this is the real advantage of an equatorial location. At 2.8° N, about 52.4% 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 Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda?
The Galactic Centre culminates around 58.2° 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 Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda?
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 Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda tonight?
About 9.6 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 Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda.

More in Northern Region

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across Uganda

Other cities in Uganda with live sky reports.

Popular astronomy destinations

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

🛰️ ISS Visibility

Next visible pass rises at 1:52 AM, lasting about 7 minutes.

☄️ Orionids peaks in 9 days

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

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Gulu?

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 Gulu, Northern Region, Uganda.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Gulu?

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