Albury Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Albury

City
Albury
Country
Australia
Latitude
-36.0737
Longitude
146.9135

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
19.55
Bortle class
Class 7 (Class 7)
Darkness Quotient
41%
Dataset
August 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Albury: The Practical Verdict

Albury in New South Wales is a small city with a suburban setting. Unfortunately, the stargazing experience here is hampered by moderate light pollution. The sky quality is characterised by a poor urban/suburban sky where the Milky Way is not visible, and bright artificial lights dominate.

Under these conditions, observing targets like the Moon, planets, bright double stars, and open clusters are still feasible. However, visual deep-sky observing should be approached with realistic expectations. Broadband galaxies and Milky Way photography are best avoided. The west horizon is particularly bright, while the north-west offers some improvement.

For those seeking a substantial upgrade in sky quality, travelling to Anglers Rest in Victoria, about 115 km south south-east, is worthwhile for serious deep-sky observations. This location offers dramatically clearer skies for dedicated astronomers.

At a Glance

Overall
Poor urban/suburban sky - This is a poor sky for astronomy. The Moon, planets, and a few bright objects remain viable, but deep-sky work is difficult.
Milky Way
Not visible - The Milky Way is not realistically visible from this level of light pollution.
Best targets from here
Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing
Do not prioritise
visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, Milky Way photography
Best nearby upgrade
Anglers Rest, Victoria sits about 115 km south south east and reaches Bortle 2, roughly 7.3x darker.
Good dark window
Albury's longest dark windows fall in June and July, with the shortest nights around December and January. For deep-sky imaging, winter gives the best combination of long nights and true astronomical darkness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Albury?

No. Albury is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.55, so the Milky Way is not visible from the city. For Milky Way photography, look for a Bortle 4 or darker site.

What Bortle class is Albury?

Albury is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.55), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Albury good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Albury is a poor urban/suburban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.

Is Albury good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Albury?

Primary targets from Albury include Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Albury?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Gerogery West, New South Wales, about 22 km north north east of Albury, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Albury?

The sky over Albury is darkest around June, July.

Is light pollution in Albury getting better or worse?

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

north - excellent

Fully dark sky to the north. This is among the cleaner directions from this site.

north-north-east - excellent

The north-north-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint stars and the Milky Way reach the ground in this direction on clear nights.

north-east - excellent

No visible light pollution in the north-east direction. The Milky Way structure is visible into this quarter on transparent nights.

east-north-east - excellent

The east-north-east sky is dark to the horizon with no visible artificial brightening. Faint extended objects are accessible at low elevation.

east - excellent

The east sky is dark to the horizon with no visible artificial brightening. Faint extended objects are accessible at low elevation.

east-south-east - excellent

The east-south-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint stars and the Milky Way reach the ground in this direction on clear nights.

south-east - excellent

No skyglow to the south-east. Stars are visible to the naked-eye limit at all elevations in this direction.

south-south-east - excellent

Fully dark sky to the south-south-east. This is among the cleaner directions from this site.

south - good

Clean, dark sky to the south. No visible artificial light source affects this quarter.

south-south-west - excellent

The south-south-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint stars and the Milky Way reach the ground in this direction on clear nights.

south-west - excellent

The south-west sky is dark to the horizon with no visible artificial brightening. Faint extended objects are accessible at low elevation.

west-south-west - excellent

No skyglow to the west-south-west. Stars are visible to the naked-eye limit at all elevations in this direction.

west - good

The west horizon is free of artificial brightening. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground.

west-north-west - excellent

No visible light pollution in the west-north-west direction. The Milky Way structure is visible into this quarter on transparent nights.

north-west - excellent

Fully dark sky to the north-west. This is among the cleaner directions from this site.

north-north-west - excellent

No skyglow to the north-north-west. Stars are visible to the naked-eye limit at all elevations in this direction.

zenith - fair

The zenith sky is workable but lacks depth. Major constellations are intact; faint stars between them are thinned.

  • Gerogery West, New South Wales
    Direction
    NNE
    Distance (km)
    22.2
    SQM
    20.76
    Bortle
    5
  • Anglers Rest, Victoria
    Direction
    SSE
    Distance (km)
    115.1
    SQM
    21.71
    Bortle
    2
  • Ingeegoodbee, New South Wales
    Direction
    ESE
    Distance (km)
    146.9
    SQM
    21.78
    Bortle
    2
  • Adaminaby, New South Wales
    Direction
    E
    Distance (km)
    154.5
    SQM
    21.68
    Bortle
    3
  • Boho, Victoria
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    122.9
    SQM
    21.08
    Bortle
    4
  • Jamieson South Track, Victoria
    Direction
    SSW
    Distance (km)
    153.6
    SQM
    21.49
    Bortle
    3