Ballina Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

20.12

Bortle class

Class 6 (Class 6)

Darkness Quotient

50%

Dataset

May 2026

Bright suburban sky

Ballina: The Practical Verdict

Ballina is a small city in New South Wales with the practical challenges typical of suburban light pollution. The overall conditions result in a limited suburban sky, with the Milky Way not visible due to the brightness of the sky.

From Ballina, the Moon, planets, and bright open clusters remain your best observational targets. The abundant light pollution, especially from the west-north-west, means low-contrast objects like broadband galaxies and faint nebulae are best avoided. However, narrowband imaging of bright nebula cores can still be pursued with filters.

While Ballina struggles with moderate light pollution, a short jaunt south-south-west to Keith Hall offers a modest upgrade in sky quality. Although not dramatically darker, this nearby location allows for clearer views of the night sky targets you might be missing in Ballina.

At a Glance

Overall

Limited suburban sky - This is a limited sky for astronomy. The brightest targets remain accessible, but faint deep-sky observing is heavily compromised.

Milky Way

Not visible - The sky background is generally too bright for a reliable Milky Way view.

Best targets from here

Moon, planets, double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging, bright nebula cores

Do not prioritise

broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, visual faint nebulae, Milky Way photography

Limited nearby upgrade

Keith Hall, New South Wales is the strongest nearby option but remains Bortle 4; the improvement is real but modest.

Good dark window

Ballina'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 Ballina?

No. Ballina is a Bortle Class 6 sky with SQM 20.12, 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 Ballina?

Ballina is Bortle Class 6 (SQM 20.12), a limited suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Ballina good for stargazing?

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

Is Ballina good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Ballina?

Primary targets from Ballina include Moon, planets, double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging. Targets such as broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, visual faint nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Ballina?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Keith Hall, New South Wales, about 5 km south south west of Ballina, reaching Bortle 4.

When is the sky darkest in Ballina?

The sky over Ballina is darkest around June, July.

Is light pollution in Ballina getting better or worse?

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

• Keith Hall, New South Wales

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  5

  SQM

  21.18

  Bortle

  4

• Lennox Head, New South Wales

  Direction

  NNE

  Distance (km)

  10.1

  SQM

  20.99

  Bortle

  4

• Billinudgel, New South Wales

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  38.2

  SQM

  21.14

  Bortle

  4