Johannesburg, South Africa Clear Sky Chart

Johannesburg, South Africa (-26.2°, 28.05°) · Updated 15:08 SAST
100
Excellent
high confidence ⓘ
high · Forecast stability

Tonight's forecast has held steady across recent updates. We compare how much tonight's score has moved across our recent forecast updates, a score that's held steady is more trustworthy.

Confidence reflects how trustworthy the forecast is, it doesn't change the score.

Go out tonight
BEST 19:00–04:49 (9h 50m)
Near-perfect skies with very low moonlight. ISS pass at 04:45 — bright overhead (84°).
Sunset
18:00
Sunrise
06:06
Usable Hours
10/10
Moon
6%
Visible Planets
☿ Mercury13° W
♀ Venus40° W
♂ Mars21° NE
♄ Saturn61° N
⛢ Uranus43° N
♆ Neptune64° N
Open Full Johannesburg, South Africa Forecast →
Hour-by-hour scores · Planet rise/set & visibility · ISS & satellite passes · Moon detail · Full score breakdown · Aurora & observer profiles

Stargazing in Johannesburg, South Africa

Johannesburg's altitude (1,753m) gives it a natural advantage — thinner air improves seeing and transparency. The city's Bortle 7 drops to Bortle 4 within an hour heading into the Highveld or toward the Magaliesberg Mountains. South Africa's dry winter season (May–September) brings consistently clear skies. At 26.2°S, the galactic centre passes almost directly overhead, and the Magellanic Clouds are prominent. The Johannesburg Planetarium at the University of the Witwatersrand is a local landmark.

Johannesburg, South Africa Stargazing FAQ

Is Johannesburg good for stargazing?∨
Johannesburg's altitude of 1,753m gives it a natural advantage — thinner air improves seeing and transparency. The dry winter season (May-September) brings consistently clear skies.
Where can I stargaze near Johannesburg?∨
The Magaliesberg Mountains (1 hour north-west) and the Highveld plateau offer Bortle 4 conditions. The Cradle of Humankind area is a popular local dark-sky option. The Karoo to the south is darker still.
Can you see the Milky Way galactic centre from Johannesburg?∨
Yes — at 26.2°S, the galactic centre passes almost directly overhead during winter (May-September), making Johannesburg one of the better-positioned major cities for Milky Way viewing when you escape the city light.

Stargazing guides

Is Tonight Good for Stargazing?

The answer depends on five things you can check right now.

Light Pollution & the Bortle Scale

How dark is your sky: and what difference does it make?

What Planets Are Visible Tonight?

Real visibility data for all 7 naked-eye and telescope planets, calculated for your location.

Meteor Shower Calendar 2026

Every shower this year: peak dates, expected rates, moon interference, and the two you absolutely cannot miss.
Check light pollution for this area ↗

Other locations

London Edinburgh Manchester Birmingham Glasgow Cardiff Belfast Leeds Bristol Liverpool Inverness Aberdeen York Cambridge Ballymena Bath Oxford Nottingham Sheffield Newcastle Dublin New York Los Angeles Chicago Houston Phoenix Denver San Francisco Seattle Austin Boston Miami Portland Nashville Minneapolis Salt Lake City Tucson Flagstaff Sedona Moab Anchorage Toronto Vancouver Montreal Calgary Jasper Paris Berlin Munich Amsterdam Rome Madrid Barcelona Lisbon Vienna Prague Copenhagen Stockholm Helsinki Oslo Tromsø Reykjavik Zurich Warsaw Budapest Athens Brussels Kiruna Rovaniemi Tenerife La Palma Tokyo Seoul Singapore Bangkok Dubai Mumbai Delhi Taipei Hong Kong Bali Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Perth Auckland Queenstown Cape Town Nairobi Marrakech Cairo Buenos Aires São Paulo Santiago Atacama Bogotá Mauna Kea Cherry Springs Galloway Forest Northumberland Cork Galway Plymouth Norwich Exeter Aberystwyth Kielder San Diego Las Vegas Dallas Atlanta Philadelphia Washington DC Albuquerque Big Bend Bryce Canyon Death Valley Ottawa Edmonton Winnipeg Yellowknife Milan Naples Krakow Geneva Nice Abisko Pic du Midi Sierra Nevada Faroe Islands Osaka Beijing Shanghai Kuala Lumpur Manila Abu Dhabi Tel Aviv Riyadh Istanbul Kyoto Adelaide Canberra Hobart Darwin Wellington Christchurch Lake Tekapo Uluru Windhoek Sutherland Casablanca Tunis Addis Ababa Accra Dar es Salaam Lagos Lima Quito Montevideo La Paz Elqui Valley Mendoza Cusco Asunción

See all locations on the map →