Bathurst Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

19.47

Bortle class

Class 7 (Class 7)

Darkness Quotient

39%

Dataset

May 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Bathurst: The Practical Verdict

Bathurst, a small city in New South Wales, Australia, is subject to high light pollution that sharply limits its stargazing potential. The urban environment means the skies here typically provide a poor view for astronomical observation.

From Bathurst, the sky is bright enough to obscure the Milky Way entirely, making it invisible. Observers should focus on brighter sky objects such as the Moon, planets, and bright double stars, while more nuanced targets like reflection nebulae and faint meteors remain out of reach.

For those seeking a significantly darker observation site, the Singleton Military Area to the east north east offers a Bortle 3 sky and is worth the drive for a major improvement in deep-sky observation.

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

Singleton Military Area, New South Wales sits about 165 km east north east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 6.8x darker.

Good dark window

Bathurst'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 Bathurst?

No. Bathurst is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.47, 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 Bathurst?

Bathurst is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.47), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Bathurst good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Bathurst 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 Bathurst good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Bathurst?

Primary targets from Bathurst 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 Bathurst?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Black Jerry Ridge Road, New South Wales, about 71 km east south east of Bathurst, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Bathurst?

The sky over Bathurst is darkest around June, July.

Is light pollution in Bathurst getting better or worse?

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

• Black Jerry Ridge Road, New South Wales

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  70.7

  SQM

  20.75

  Bortle

  5

• Tesselate Hill, New South Wales

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  86

  SQM

  20.99

  Bortle

  4

• Bindook, New South Wales

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  96.5

  SQM

  21.13

  Bortle

  4

• Singleton Military Area, New South Wales

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  164.8

  SQM

  21.55

  Bortle

  3