Live Sky Report
What Can I See in the Sky Tonight in Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali?
New Moon moon at 0%, Venus shines at magnitude -4.4. Calculated for 16.77°, -3.01° (Africa/Bamako).
Visible planets tonight
Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars — brightest: Venus at mag -4.4 in Virgo
🔭 Tonight's Sky Report
📍 Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali — Wednesday, August 12
Tonight's sky above Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali
Skywatchers in Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali have the same live tools professional observers use — a real ephemeris, live Kp readings from NOAA SWPC, and hourly cloud forecasts — condensed into one report on this page.
Above Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali tonight (16.77°, -3.01°), expect a new moon moon at 0% illumination. The night gives 8.8 hours of true astronomical darkness. At 16.8°, aurora needs a strong storm — roughly Kp 9 or higher — to reach Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali.
Local sky character in Timbuktu
Tropical / equatorial latitudes · northern hemisphere · 274 m elevation
- The north celestial pole stands 16.8° above the horizon, so stars within 17° of it never set from here.
- About 64.4% 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 44.2° up, clearing the horizon haze comfortably.
- The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 3.5° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
- At 274 m elevation, roughly 3% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Timbuktu is a town-scale settlement, so the edge of the built-up area is often dark enough for the Milky Way on moonless nights.
Best nights this month in Timbuktu
Calculated for these coordinates and today's date — not a fixed list.
- 2026-08-12 — 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 Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali.
- 2026-08-12 — Perseids peak — up to 100/hour
Radiant in Perseus. Favours the Northern Hemisphere, which includes Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali. The Moon is 2% lit on peak night, so lunar interference is none.
- 2026-08-27 — 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.
Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali stargazing questions
- What can I see in the sky tonight from Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali?
- Tonight from Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali expect a new moon Moon at 0% illumination, with these naked-eye planets above the horizon after dark: Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Mars. The night offers about 8.8 hours of true astronomical darkness.
- Is light pollution a problem in Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali?
- Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali 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 Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali?
- The core reaches about 44.2° 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 Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali tonight?
- About 8.8 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 Timbuktu, Tombouctou, Mali.
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