Stargazing in Hitachi-Naka, Ibaraki, Japan

Dark-sky rating for Hitachi-Naka

Hitachi-Naka, Ibaraki, Japan is a small city (population about 156,581). A place this size typically has a rural to suburban transition: the Milky Way core can be glimpsed on clear, moonless nights. That is an estimate of Bortle class 4–5 from population, not a measurement: the real value depends on the exact spot you observe from.

For a measured reading at any point, open the live Dark Sky map.

Nearest dark-sky places and observatories

No certified dark-sky place or observatory in our registry lies within 150 km of Hitachi-Naka. Our list only includes genuine, publicly documented sites, so none is shown rather than guessed.

Milky Way season in Hitachi-Naka

The bright core of the Milky Way stays low, so you need a clear southern or northern horizon. It climbs at least 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness in March, April, May, June, July, August, peaking in June at about 25°.

• The north celestial pole stands 36.4° above the horizon, so stars within 36° of it never set from here.
• About 79.7% 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 24.6° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
• At 31 m elevation, roughly 0% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Tonight and aurora

As of November 6, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a Waning Crescent at 8% illumination. Aurora at 36.4° latitude generally needs about Kp 9.0.

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