Stargazing at NamibRand Nature Reserve in August
southern Namibia. Figures for August 2027, calculated by us. Times are local.
Milky Way season
In mid-August the sky is fully dark from about 19:54 to 06:05, 10 hours a night. The bright centre of the Milky Way is well up from about 20:06 to 02:46.
The darkest nights in August 2027
Nights when the Moon is down for almost all of the dark hours:
- 29 Jul to 4 Aug 2027 (7 nights)
- 27 Aug to 3 Sept 2027 (8 nights)
- New Moon: 2 August 2027
- Full Moon: 17 August 2027
- New Moon: 31 August 2027
What to know
- It was named an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2012, the first in Africa.
- It holds Gold Tier status, the darkest and strictest category.
There is no town nearby, so the sky is dark from horizon to horizon. Stays are at lodges and camps inside or next to the reserve.
Get a note when it is worth going out
A short email before an eclipse, a strong meteor shower or a dark week worth planning for. No more than a few a month.
NamibRand Nature Reserve: the whole year. All five dark-sky places.
Sources
- Darkness, Moon and Milky Way: our calculation, Astronomy Engine 2.1.19 (MIT licence). How we worked it out.
- NamibRand Nature Reserve, dark sky.