Stargazing guide
Stargazing in Kirensk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia
Kirensk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia has an estimated Bortle 1–4 sky (small town). The Milky Way core never climbs 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness from here.
How dark the sky is around Kirensk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, the nearest certified dark-sky places, when the Milky Way core is visible, and the next dark New Moon. Calculated for 57.78°, 108.12°.
Estimated sky glow
Milky Way core
Next New Moon
Dark-sky rating for Kirensk
Kirensk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia is a small town (population about 13,308). 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 Kirensk. Our list only includes genuine, publicly documented sites, so none is shown rather than guessed.
Milky Way season in Kirensk
The Milky Way's bright core never climbs 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness from Kirensk; the fainter band is still visible from a dark site.
- The north celestial pole stands 57.8° above the horizon, so stars within 58° of it never set from here.
- About 92.3% 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 3.2° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
- At 265 m elevation, roughly 3% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.
Tonight and aurora
As of October 17, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a Waxing Crescent at 40% illumination. Aurora at 57.8° latitude generally needs about Kp 3.0.
Nearby places
Stargazing in Kirensk: common questions
Is Kirensk a good place for stargazing?
Kirensk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia is a small town, so its typical sky is rural sky: the Milky Way is usually visible on clear, moonless nights away from local lighting (an estimate of Bortle 1–4 from population, not a measurement). No certified dark-sky place or observatory in our registry lies within 150 km, so a dark site means driving away from the city's glow toward the darkest horizon you can reach.
When can you see the Milky Way from Kirensk?
From Kirensk, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia the Milky Way's bright core never climbs 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness at any time of year, so the best views are of the fainter parts of the band.
What is the best night this month for stargazing near Kirensk?
The darkest nights fall around the New Moon. As of 2026-10-17 the Moon is a Waxing Crescent at 40% illumination, and the next New Moon is November 9, 2026 (UTC). Pair it with a clear forecast and a site away from town lights.