Stargazing in Luangwa, Lusaka Province, Zambia

Dark-sky rating for Luangwa

Luangwa, Lusaka Province, Zambia is a small town (population about 9,187). 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 Luangwa. Our list only includes genuine, publicly documented sites, so none is shown rather than guessed.

Milky Way season in Luangwa

The bright core of the Milky Way passes almost directly overhead. 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 77°.

• The south celestial pole stands 15.6° above the horizon, so stars within 16° of it never set from here.
• About 63.5% 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 76.6° up, passing almost directly overhead.
• The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 35.9° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
• At 328 m elevation, roughly 4% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Tonight and aurora

As of October 20, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a Waxing Gibbous at 63% illumination. Aurora at 15.6° latitude generally needs about Kp 9.0.

Nearby places

• Lusaka, Lusaka Province, Zambia
• Kabwe, Central Province, Zambia
• Harare, Harare, Zimbabwe