Stargazing in the Maldives: dark skies over the ocean

A 2016 world atlas of artificial sky brightness, published in *Science Advances*, estimated that more than a third of humanity can no longer see the Milky Way from home. In the Maldives the picture is mixed:

• The Malé area is bright. Malé, Hulhumalé and the airport island form the country’s one big urban glow, visible on the horizon from nearby islands.
• Local islands are smaller and quieter. Most have a harbour, streetlights and lit homes, but little beyond that. Walk to a beach on the far side of the island from the harbour and the sky opens up.
• The sea is dark. With no land for many kilometres, the horizon is usually black in at least one direction.

Humidity and sea haze can soften the view low down, so the clearest stars are usually well above the horizon.

Season

The Maldives Meteorological Service describes two monsoons. The northeast monsoon, roughly January to March, is the dry season, with more settled weather. The southwest monsoon, from mid-May to November, brings more cloud and rain. April and December are transition months.

So the dry season is the most reliable time for clear skies. Our best time to visit the Maldives guide covers the weather month by month.

Moon phase

A full moon washes out faint stars and the Milky Way. Aim for the week either side of the new moon, or the hours after moonset or before moonrise; any moon-phase app shows these times.

Time of night

Twilight is short near the equator, so the sky is properly dark not long after sunset, around 6pm all year (see our sunrise and sunset guide). The darkest hours come later, when most island lights have gone off.

Your eyes

NASA suggests allowing about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. A bright phone screen undoes this, so turn the brightness right down or use a red light.

Both hemispheres’ skies

From the equator, almost every star rises and sets at some point in the year. The Maldives runs from the northern hemisphere to just south of the equator, so over the seasons you can see the constellations of both hemispheres.

• The Pole Star (Polaris) sits very low over the northern horizon, because its height above the horizon roughly matches your latitude. From the Maldives it is often lost in haze.
• Scorpius and Sagittarius climb high in the sky in the middle of the year. They lie towards the centre of our galaxy.

The Southern Cross

The Southern Cross (Crux) has long guided sailors: a line through its long axis points roughly towards the south celestial pole. The International Astronomical Union’s education office describes it as visible from southern and equatorial regions. From the tropics, it is best seen in the evening in the southern hemisphere’s autumn, which means roughly March to May.

From the Maldives it sits low in the south, so find a clear view over the sea. Look for four bright stars in a kite shape.

The Milky Way

On a dark, moonless night, the Milky Way looks like a band of pale cloud across the sky. The brightest part is the galaxy’s centre, in the direction of Sagittarius. NASA describes a star pattern there called the Teapot. The core sits just beside its spout, and the Milky Way rises from it like steam.

NASA calls June the start of “core season” for northern observers, when the bright centre is up for much of the night. From the Maldives, the core is well placed in the evening around the middle of the year. Earlier in the year, you’ll catch it before dawn. Mid-year is also the wet season, so wait for a clear night between showers.

Planets, the moon and satellites

Bright planets such as Venus and Jupiter show up even when the moon is up, and satellites drift across the sky for an hour or two after dusk.

Meteor showers

NASA lists three showers worth knowing:

• Eta Aquariids, peaking in early May. They favour observers further south, and are best before dawn.
• Perseids, peaking around 12–13 August. Best seen from the northern hemisphere, but some reach the Maldives sky before dawn.
• Geminids, peaking around 13–14 December. Visible worldwide, and strong in a dark sky.

Peak dates shift slightly each year, and a bright moon can spoil a shower, so check before you go.

Islanders have watched the sky for a very long time. The traditional calendar, the nakaiy, divides the year into 27 periods of 13 or 14 days. Each is named after a star or star group that rises at dusk at that time of year. According to *Edition*, each nakaiy carries its own expected weather, winds and sea conditions. Fishermen used them to judge when to go to sea and where tuna might run, and *Edition* notes it is still followed in some fishing communities.

The moon has a public role too. The Islamic months begin with the new crescent moon. Before Ramadan and Eid, moon watching takes place on islands around the country, and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs announces the decision on national television. If you’re on a local island at that time, you may notice the excitement. Our Ramadan in the Maldives guide explains what to expect.

• Stay on public beaches and paths. Avoid people’s yards, boatyards and the mosque grounds.
• Keep it quiet. Many families are asleep by late evening, and sound carries.
• Use a dim red light, and never shine a torch at houses, people or the mosque.
• Dress as you would in the daytime. Even at night, swimwear belongs only on the designated bikini beach.
• Mind the tide and reef edge, and don’t swim alone in the dark.

Think of the turtles

Sea turtles nest on some Maldivian beaches. Hatchlings find the sea by heading for the brightest horizon, which is normally the open sky over the water. Florida’s wildlife agency notes that beach lights can lead them inland, where many die. If you see a turtle or tracks, switch off your light and give it plenty of space. See our sea turtles guide for more.

• Keep the camera steady on a tripod or solid surface; many phones have a night mode.
• Go wide and manual: widest aperture, focus by hand on a bright star, and exposures of around 10 to 20 seconds.
• Add a foreground, such as a palm or a moored dhoni.
• Respect people. Ask before photographing anyone, and don’t light up homes. See our photography guide; drones need permits (drone guide).

Dhiffushi, in North Malé (Kaafu) Atoll, is the easternmost inhabited island in the Maldives, about 37 km north-east of Malé, on the outer rim of the atoll. The glow of the Malé area lies to the south-west, so the open sky to the east, over the ocean, is often the darkest. The East Beach faces that way, and it’s also where people gather to watch the sunrise.

On a dark night, keep an eye on the waterline too. Glowing plankton have been seen on Dhiffushi’s beaches. See our bioluminescent plankton page and the wider sea of stars guide. For more ideas after sunset, read evenings on a local island.