Stargazing in Kibungo, Eastern Province, Rwanda

Dark-sky rating for Kibungo

Kibungo, Eastern Province, Rwanda is a small town (population about 46,240). A place this size typically has a rural sky: the Milky Way is usually visible on clear, moonless nights away from local lighting. That is an estimate of Bortle class 1–4 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 Kibungo. Our list only includes genuine, publicly documented sites, so none is shown rather than guessed.

Milky Way season in Kibungo

The bright core of the Milky Way climbs high above the horizon haze. It climbs at least 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness in February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, peaking in April at about 63°.

• The south celestial pole stands 2.2° above the horizon, so stars within 2° of it never set from here.
• About 51.9% 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 63.2° up, clearing the horizon haze comfortably.
• The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 22.5° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
• At 1607 m elevation, roughly 17% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Tonight and aurora

As of October 15, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a Waxing Crescent at 21% illumination. Aurora at 2.2° latitude generally needs about Kp 9.0.

Nearby places

• Rwamagana, Eastern Province, Rwanda
• Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda
• Gitarama, Southern Province, Rwanda
• Ngozi, Ngozi, Burundi
• Musanze, Northern Province, Rwanda
• Kayanza, Kayanza, Burundi