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Live Sky Report

What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Mongu, Western Province, Zambia?

Waxing Gibbous moon at 61%, Saturn shines at magnitude 0.3. Calculated for -15.25°, 23.13° (Africa/Lusaka).

Moon
Waxing Gibbous
61% lit
Sunset
6:27 PM
Dusk 7:40 PM
Dark hours
9.0 h
Dawn 4:43 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

📍 Mongu, Western Province, Zambia — Monday, October 19

⭐ StargazingWeather telemetry updating
🌙 MoonWaxing Gibbous • 61% Illumination
🪐 Visible planetsMercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
🌠 Meteor activityOrionids in 1 day
🌌 Milky WayMuted by moonlight tonight
🛰️ ISSISS pass predictions unavailable
🌈 AuroraUnlikely — Quiet (Kp 0.3)
☁️ Cloud coverWeather telemetry updating
🌡️ TemperatureWeather telemetry updating

Space weather observed: 3:00 PM UTC

Tonight's sky above Mongu, Western Province, Zambia

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

Local sky character in Mongu

Tropical / equatorial latitudes · southern hemisphere · 1016 m elevation

  • The south celestial pole stands 15.2° above the horizon, so stars within 15° of it never set from here.
  • About 63.2% 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 76.2° up, passing almost directly overhead.
  • The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 35.5° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
  • At 1016 m elevation, roughly 11% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Pole altitude
15.2°
Sky reachable
63.2%
Milky Way core
76.2° max
Aurora australis
Kp 9+

Mongu 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 Mongu

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.

  • 2026-11-08 — 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 Mongu, Western Province, Zambia.

  • 2026-11-17 — Leonids peak — up to 15/hour

    Radiant in Leo. Visible from both hemispheres. The Moon is 45% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is moderate.

Mongu, Western Province, Zambia stargazing questions

What can I see in the sky tonight from Mongu, Western Province, Zambia?
Tonight from Mongu, Western Province, Zambia expect a waxing gibbous Moon at 61% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury. The night offers about 9.0 hours of true astronomical darkness.
What planets are visible tonight in Mongu, Western Province, Zambia?
Tonight in Mongu, Western Province, Zambia, 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 Mongu, Western Province, Zambia?
Astronomical darkness begins at 7:40 PM local time in Mongu, Western Province, Zambia 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 Mongu, Western Province, Zambia?
Mongu, Western Province, Zambia 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 Mongu, Western Province, Zambia?
Mongu, Western Province, Zambia 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.
Is light pollution a problem in Mongu, Western Province, Zambia?
Mongu, Western Province, Zambia is small enough that the Milky Way can be visible on clear, moonless nights away from the immediate centre. This page's Moon and darkness figures tell you the other half of the story.
When can I see the Milky Way from Mongu, Western Province, Zambia?
The core reaches about 76.2° altitude, so target the moonless nights listed in the best-nights section and get away from the city core.
How dark does it actually get in Mongu, Western Province, Zambia tonight?
About 9.0 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 Mongu, Western Province, Zambia.

More in Western Province

Other sky reports in the same region.

Sky tonight across Zambia

Other cities in Zambia 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 1 day

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

Full viewing guide →

Related astronomy for Mongu, Western Province, Zambia

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just astronomy weather for Mongu?

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 Mongu, Western Province, Zambia.

What are tonight's astronomy viewing conditions for Mongu?

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