Stargazing in Port-Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu

Dark-sky rating for Port-Vila

Port-Vila, Shefa, Vanuatu is a small town (population about 35,901). 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 Port-Vila. Our list only includes genuine, publicly documented sites, so none is shown rather than guessed.

Milky Way season in Port-Vila

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 79°.

• The south celestial pole stands 17.7° above the horizon, so stars within 18° of it never set from here.
• About 65.2% 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 78.7° up, passing almost directly overhead.
• The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 38° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
• At 10 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 20, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a Waxing Gibbous at 63% illumination. Aurora at 17.7° latitude generally needs about Kp 9.0.

Nearby places

• Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
• Arawa, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea