Arlington Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Arlington
- City
- Arlington
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 32.7357
- Longitude
- -97.1081
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.45
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 19%
- Dataset
- April 2026
Inner city sky
Arlington: The Practical Verdict
Arlington, Texas, a mid-sized city situated close to Dallas, experiences extreme light pollution. The urban glow strongly limits astronomical viewing, ensuring only the brightest objects stand out.
While the Milky Way is completely obscured here, brighter targets such as the Moon, planets, and large double stars can be observed effectively. Opportunities for narrowband imaging exist but require diligent attention to mitigate the overwhelming light.
For improved stargazing conditions, Brock, Oklahoma, located south of Arlington, provides a modest upgrade with darker skies rated at Bortle 5.
At a Glance
- Overall
- Severe urban sky - This is a severely light-polluted urban sky. Only the Moon, planets, bright stars, and a few specialist targets remain practical.
- Milky Way
- Not visible - The Milky Way is not visible from this sky.
- Best targets from here
- Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events, narrowband imaging only with care
- Do not prioritise
- visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, widefield Milky Way
- Limited nearby upgrade
- Brock, Oklahoma is the strongest nearby option but remains Bortle 5; the improvement is real but modest.
- Good dark window
- Arlington's longest dark windows fall in December and January, with the shortest nights around June and July. Plan deep-sky sessions around the autumn and winter months for the best combination of long nights and true astronomical darkness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see the Milky Way from Arlington?
No. Arlington is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.45, 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 Arlington?
Arlington is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.45), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is Arlington good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Arlington is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Arlington good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Arlington and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Arlington without careful processing.
What can you observe from Arlington?
Primary targets from Arlington include Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.
Where are darker skies near Arlington?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Melissa, Texas, about 80 km north east of Arlington, reaching Bortle 7.
When is the sky darkest in Arlington?
The sky over Arlington is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Arlington getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Arlington has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - poor
The north horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.
north-north-east - poor
Strong skyglow on the north-north-east horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.
north-east - poor
The north-east horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.
east-north-east - poor
Heavy light pollution to the east-north-east. The lower 30 degrees of sky in this direction are unusable for faint targets.
east - marginal
The east lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
east-south-east - marginal
The east-south-east lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
south-east - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the south-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
south-south-east - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the south-south-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
south - marginal
Noticeable glow on the south horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
south-south-west - marginal
The south-south-west sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
south-west - marginal
The south-west sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
west-south-west - poor
Strong skyglow on the west-south-west horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.
west - poor
Strong skyglow on the west horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.
west-north-west - poor
The west-north-west horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.
north-west - poor
Strong skyglow on the north-west horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.
north-north-west - poor
Heavy light pollution to the north-north-west. The lower 30 degrees of sky in this direction are unusable for faint targets.
zenith - poor
The zenith is bright enough to be obvious without dark adaptation. The Milky Way is not visible.
-
Melissa, Texas
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 80.2
- SQM
- 19.38
- Bortle
- 7
-
Montague County, Texas
- Direction
- NW
- Distance (km)
- 111.2
- SQM
- 20.03
- Bortle
- 6
-
Brock, Oklahoma
- Direction
- S
- Distance (km)
- 149.8
- SQM
- 20.50
- Bortle
- 5
-
County Road 325, Texas
- Direction
- S
- Distance (km)
- 184.1
- SQM
- 20.39
- Bortle
- 5
-
County Road 185, Texas
- Direction
- SE
- Distance (km)
- 194.6
- SQM
- 20.37
- Bortle
- 5