Kaputihan Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

20.59

Bortle class

Class 5 (Class 5)

Darkness Quotient

59%

Dataset

April 2026

Suburban sky

Kaputihan: The Practical Verdict

Kaputihan, a quiet hamlet in West Java, is characterised by a sky with moderate light pollution. Stargazing here is possible, especially for brighter objects, but the sky is not very dark, being classified as Bortle 5.

You can observe the Moon, planets, and brighter stellar clusters with good clarity from this location. However, wider Milky Way visibility and fainter galaxies are not promising targets here due to the level of background brightness.

For a slightly darker sky, the site named Pangandaran in West Java, located to the south-south-east and about 25 km away, might offer some improvement with its Bortle 4 conditions. Yet the difference is modest, and patience with local atmospheric conditions will often yield the best results.

At a Glance

Overall

Compromised but usable - This is a compromised but usable sky. Bright deep-sky objects and some imaging are possible, but contrast is noticeably reduced.

Milky Way

Weak or conditional - The Milky Way is usually weak from this sky and may only appear as a faint suggestion under good conditions.

Best targets from here

Moon, planets, double stars, bright open clusters, globular clusters, narrowband nebulae

Do not prioritise

faint galaxies, reflection nebulae, low surface-brightness nebulae, serious Milky Way photography

No meaningful upgrade nearby

Nearby sites are not notably darker. Local conditions will matter more than chasing a slightly darker map value.

Good dark window

Kaputihan retains astronomical darkness throughout the year, so seasonality is less extreme than at higher latitudes. The main limitation is light pollution, not the length of the dark window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Kaputihan?

Conditionally. From Kaputihan the Milky Way may show as a faint suggestion under transparent, moonless conditions, but it lacks dark-site contrast.

What Bortle class is Kaputihan?

Kaputihan is Bortle Class 5 (SQM 20.59), a compromised but usable for astronomy.

Is Kaputihan good for stargazing?

Partly. Kaputihan offers a compromised but usable where many bright targets remain accessible, but the faintest deep-sky work is compromised.

Is Kaputihan good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Kaputihan and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Narrowband imaging of bright emission nebulae remains viable from Kaputihan with appropriate Ha or OIII filters.

What can you observe from Kaputihan?

Primary targets from Kaputihan include Moon, planets, double stars, bright open clusters, globular clusters. Targets such as faint galaxies, reflection nebulae, low surface-brightness nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Kaputihan?

No meaningfully darker mapped site was found within the search radius around Kaputihan.

When is the sky darkest in Kaputihan?

The sky over Kaputihan is darkest around June, July.

Is light pollution in Kaputihan getting better or worse?

Long-term light pollution over Kaputihan has been broadly stable across the available measurements.

• Pangandaran, West Java

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  23.8

  SQM

  21.15

  Bortle

  4

• Cilumba, West Java

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  21.3

  SQM

  21.11

  Bortle

  4

• Tasikmalaya, West Java

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  32.8

  SQM

  21.08

  Bortle

  4