Stargazing in Pyongyang, Pyongyang, North Korea

Dark-sky rating for Pyongyang

Pyongyang, Pyongyang, North Korea is a large metropolitan area (population about 3,222,000). A place this size typically has a bright inner-city sky: only the Moon, planets and the brightest stars show from inside the urban core. That is an estimate of Bortle class 7–9 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 Pyongyang. Our list only includes genuine, publicly documented sites, so none is shown rather than guessed.

Milky Way season in Pyongyang

The bright core of the Milky Way stays low, so you need a clear southern or northern horizon. It climbs at least 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness in April, May, June, July, August, peaking in June at about 22°.

• The north celestial pole stands 39° above the horizon, so stars within 39° of it never set from here.
• About 81.5% 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 22° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
• At 43 m elevation, roughly 1% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Tonight and aurora

As of October 13, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a Waxing Crescent at 10% illumination. Aurora at 39.0° latitude generally needs about Kp 9.0.

Nearby places

• Songnim-ni, North Hwanghae, North Korea
• Namp'o, Nampo, North Korea
• Sunch'on, South Pyongan, North Korea
• Paek'ak, South Pyongan, North Korea
• Chaeryong-ni, South Pyongan, North Korea
• Sariwon-si, North Hwanghae, North Korea