How dark the sky is at Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra): Bortle Class 3, rural sky
The zenith sky here reads 21.87 magnitudes per square arcsecond. That is about 1.1 times the brightness of a pristine natural sky (22.0), the extra coming from artificial light scattered in the air.
Milky Way
The Milky Way still looks complex overhead, with some light pollution near the horizon
Zodiacal light
Zodiacal light is striking after dusk or before dawn but does not reach far up the sky
Faintest naked-eye stars
Magnitude 6.6 to 7.0 overhead
Naked eye
M33 needs averted vision; globulars M4, M5, M15 and M22 are naked-eye objects
At the eyepiece
Bright galaxies and nebulae show well; the faintest objects lose contrast low in the sky
Sky brightness and class come from the World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness (Falchi et al. 2016, CC BY-NC 4.0), with natural skyglow added. On the night, haze, smoke, humidity and the Moon set the real limit; see every Bortle Class 3 place.
What's up from Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) by season
At latitude 21.6°N, the north celestial pole stands 22° above the horizon, close to Polaris. Every star north of declination -68° rises at some time of year. The Milky Way core in Sagittarius climbs to 39° above the southern horizon. These are the constellations well placed, 35° or more above the horizon, at about 10 pm in the middle of each season, brightest first.
January evenings (winter): Canis Major, Auriga, and Orion
- Canis MajorIn the south, brightest star Sirius
- AurigaOverhead, brightest star Capella
- OrionOverhead, brightest star Rigel
- Canis MinorHigh in the southeast, brightest star Procyon
- EridanusIn the southwest, brightest star Achernar
- TaurusHigh in the west, brightest star Aldebaran
- GeminiOverhead, brightest star Pollux
- PerseusHigh in the northwest, brightest star Mirfak
Also well placed: Aries, Lepus, Triangulum, Lynx, Cancer, Monoceros, Camelopardalis.
April evenings (spring): Bootes, Virgo, and Leo
- BootesIn the east, brightest star Arcturus
- VirgoHigh in the southeast, brightest star Spica
- LeoHigh in the west, brightest star Regulus
- Ursa MajorHigh in the north, brightest star Alioth
- HydraIn the southwest, brightest star Alphard
- CorvusIn the south, brightest star Gienah
- Canes VenaticiHigh in the northeast, brightest star Cor Caroli
- LynxIn the northwest, brightest star Alpha Lyncis
Also well placed: Cancer, Crater, Leo Minor, Coma Berenices, Sextans.
July evenings (summer): Bootes, Lyra, and Aquila
- BootesHigh in the west, brightest star Arcturus
- LyraHigh in the northeast, brightest star Vega
- AquilaHigh in the southeast, brightest star Altair
- CygnusIn the northeast, brightest star Deneb
- SagittariusIn the southeast, brightest star Kaus Australis
- OphiuchusHigh in the south, brightest star Rasalhague
- Corona BorealisHigh in the northwest, brightest star Alphecca
- DracoIn the north, brightest star Eltanin
Also well placed: Libra, Serpens, Hercules, Sagitta, Delphinus, Scutum, Vulpecula.
October evenings (fall): Piscis Austrinus, Cygnus, and Perseus
- Piscis AustrinusIn the south, brightest star Fomalhaut
- CygnusIn the northwest, brightest star Deneb
- PerseusIn the northeast, brightest star Mirfak
- AriesIn the east, brightest star Hamal
- CetusIn the southeast, brightest star Diphda
- AndromedaHigh in the northeast, brightest star Alpheratz
- CassiopeiaIn the north, brightest star Schedar
- PegasusOverhead, brightest star Enif
Also well placed: Cepheus, Capricornus, Aquarius, Triangulum, Sagitta, Pisces, Delphinus, Lacerta, Equuleus, Vulpecula.
Showpieces from Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) through the year
| Sight | Constellation | January | April | July | October |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andromeda Galaxy (M31) | Andromeda | In the northwest | - | - | High in the northeast |
| Orion Nebula (M42) | Orion | High in the south | - | - | - |
| Pleiades (M45) | Taurus | High in the west | - | - | In the east |
| Double Cluster | Perseus | In the northwest | - | - | In the northeast |
| Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) | Canes Venatici | - | High in the northeast | In the northwest | - |
| Milky Way core | Sagittarius | - | - | In the south | - |
| Hercules Cluster (M13) | Hercules | - | - | Overhead | - |
| Ring Nebula (M57) | Lyra | - | - | High in the northeast | In the northwest |
| Lagoon Nebula (M8) | Sagittarius | - | - | In the south | - |
At about 10 pm on the 15th of each month; a dash means the sight is below 25° then.
Never set from Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra)
Only skim the southern horizon from Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra)
Never rise from Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra)
Where to set up at Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra)
The coordinates on this page point to Sillari village, observatory tower near Wagholi Lake, at 350 m (1,150 ft): 21.579°N, 79.288°E.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Open the larger map · Directions. Arrive before dark, park facing away from other observers, and use red light only.
Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) among the dark sky places of India
Each dot is a dark sky place, colored by Bortle class; select one for its page. See Dark sky places outside the United States for the full list, darkest first.
Camping and lodging at Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra)
The nearest town with motels or inns is Sillari, India. Check the official site for campgrounds and overnight rules; many parks close their gates at night, so ask about after-dark access.
Dark sky places nearest Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra)
| Place | Where | Bortle | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taregna | Masaurhi, India | 4 | 721 km (448 mi) |
| Churu | Churu, India | 4 | 866 km (538 mi) |
| Kutch (Great Rann of Kutch) | Dhordo, India | 3 | 1,017 km (632 mi) |
| Coorg (Kodagu) | Madikeri, India | 4 | 1,086 km (675 mi) |
| Katao | Lachung, India | 1 | 1,175 km (730 mi) |
| Kibber and Kaza | Kaza, India | 1 | 1,202 km (747 mi) |
| Hanle Dark Sky Reserve | Hanle, India | 1 | 1,246 km (774 mi) |
| Tawang | Tawang, India | 2 | 1,435 km (892 mi) |
Observatories and astronomy clubs near Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra)
No observatory or astronomy club on the list is near Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra).
See observatories and astronomy clubs around the world. Local clubs often hold their star parties at dark sky places like this one.
Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) record
Every value in the dark sky places dataset for Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra)
| Park | 126 |
|---|---|
| Name | Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) |
| Area | Asia |
| Region | Maharashtra |
| Country | India |
| Location | Sillari |
| Lat | 21.57940 |
| Lon | 79.28750 |
| LatLonSpot | Sillari village, observatory tower near Wagholi Lake |
| Elevation_m | 350 |
| LandManager | Maharashtra Forest Department |
| Status | Open |
| StatusNote | India's first DarkSky park (2024); Sillari observatory tower in buffer zone |
| Lodging | Sillari, India |
| Sources | https://bamwor.com/en/countries/india/cities/sillari; https://theprint.in/ground-reports/tourists-in-pench-arent-just-looking-for-tigers-now-theyre-looking-up-at-the-stars/1951786 |
| Bortle | 3 |
| SQM | 21.87 |
From the site's dark sky places dataset (darkparksglobal_q426). The sky by season is computed from the coordinates.