Stargazing in Mtwara, Mtwara, Tanzania

Dark-sky rating for Mtwara

Mtwara, Mtwara, Tanzania is a small city (population about 140,793). 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 Mtwara. Our list only includes genuine, publicly documented sites, so none is shown rather than guessed.

Milky Way season in Mtwara

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 71°.

• The south celestial pole stands 10.3° above the horizon, so stars within 10° of it never set from here.
• About 58.9% 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 71.3° up, passing almost directly overhead.
• The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 30.6° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
• At 21 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 October 14, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a Waxing Crescent at 15% illumination. Aurora at 10.3° latitude generally needs about Kp 9.0.

Nearby places

• Pemba, Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique
• Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania
• Kibaha, Pwani, Tanzania
• Ifakara, Morogoro, Tanzania