Bortle 1· Pristine skySteppe

Gobi Steppe

Mongolia · 43.58°, 104.11°

Two people per square kilometre. No light domes anywhere.

4.7(132)

Best night in range

Jun 14, 2026

2% cloud · 3% moon

95Sky score

SQM reading: 21.90mag/arcsec²
Naked-eye limit: 7.9mag
Clear nights: 266per year
Elevation: 1,590 m

The site

The southern Gobi has the lowest population density of any accessible dark site on the platform — the nearest settlement large enough to produce a light dome is 190 km away. Ger camps mean you can observe from a bed of felt and wool at −20°C. Autumn gives the steadiest air.

Nearest light dome is 190 km distant
Ger camp accommodation on the observing field
Steadiest seeing of any Asian site in October

Ten-night forecast

Updated 6h ago

Sky Score combines cloud cover, transparency, seeing, humidity and lunar illumination against this site's Bortle class. Higher is better; anything above 82 is worth rearranging a calendar for.

Night	Moon	Cloud	Transparency	Seeing	Humidity	Sky score
SunJun 14Best	3%	2%	86%	87%	22%	95
MonJun 15	0%	41%	66%	48%	36%	70
TueJun 16	0%	9%	84%	94%	22%	93
WedJun 17	2%	40%	71%	78%	37%	76
ThuJun 18	6%	50%	55%	85%	47%	70
FriJun 19	12%	5%	96%	68%	20%	91
SatJun 20	20%	44%	55%	60%	51%	68
SunJun 21	29%	48%	61%	46%	50%	64
MonJun 22	39%	27%	79%	82%	28%	79
TueJun 23	50%	52%	59%	50%	46%	60

When to come

Share of nights that stay usable, month by month. The recommended window is May, June, September and October.

66%

68%

70%

72%

78%

74%

66%

70%

82%

85%

74%

68%

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Recommended windowShare of clear nights