A live dark-sky map of the Maldivian archipelago, built on the same VIIRS 2025 dataset and colour scale as lightpollutionmap.app. The coloured overlay traces artificial sky brightness measured from satellite; the golden line is the day/night terminator, computed from the current time, so you can see exactly where darkness falls across the atolls right now. Search any island or resort to read its sky.
Maldives time
01:52:56
Sky state
Astronomical Night
Sun altitude
-61.0°
Moon illumination
100%
The Sun is below the astronomical horizon. Away from Malé's glow, the outer atolls hold true dark-sky conditions. A bright Moon will wash out fainter stars and the Milky Way.
Search any of 64 islands and resorts across the Maldives to reveal its Bortle class, sky-brightness reading and stargazing quality. The map will fly to your selection.
The coloured overlay is the 2025 World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness, derived from the VIIRS nighttime-lights data produced by the Earth Observation Group (EOG) at the Colorado School of Mines and served via lightpollutionmap.app — the same dataset and colour scale used by the world's most popular dark-sky maps. It models the artificial sky brightness at zenith, the light scattered downward from human sources. The atlas is refreshed annually; true real-time light pollution is not publicly published. The day/night terminator and twilight status above are computed live from the current time. Per-island Bortle scores, SQM and brightness readings are estimates inferred from the atlas and the island's distance from settlement.
Milky Way complex and high-contrast; zodiacal light clearly evident.
21.60–21.79
Class 4Rural / suburban
Milky Way visible but washed near the horizon; some skyglow above settlements.
21.30–21.59
Class 5Suburban sky
Milky Way faint and washed at zenith; light domes obvious in several directions.
20.80–21.29
Class 6Bright suburban
Milky Way only just visible overhead; sky visibly grey along the horizon.
20.10–20.79
Class 7Suburban / urban
Milky Way invisible; entire sky grey; only brighter constellations stand out.
19.10–20.09
Class 8City sky
Sky brightly lit; reading is possible; only the brightest stars remain.
18.00–19.09
Class 9Inner-city sky
Sky brilliantly lit; only the Moon, planets and a handful of stars are visible.
< 18.00
Every Island, Every Sky
Maldives Dark-Sky Directory
Estimated light-pollution readings for resorts and inhabited islands across the archipelago. Search above, or tap any card to fly the map to that island and read its sky.
Across the outer atolls the sky returns to what it has always been over the Indian Ocean — dark, and thick with stars. The further from the lights of settlement, the more the sky opens up.
