Beaumont Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Beaumont

City
Beaumont
Country
United States
Latitude
30.0802
Longitude
-94.1266

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
17.85
Bortle class
Class 9 (Class 9)
Darkness Quotient
22%
Dataset
August 2026

Inner city sky

Beaumont: The Practical Verdict

Beaumont, a mid-sized city in Texas, is situated roughly 125 km east-south-east of Houston. Its skies suffer from high light pollution, making serious astronomy challenging. The overall verdict is a severe urban sky with limited viewing options.

With the current level of light pollution, the Milky Way is not visible. The most reliable targets from Beaumont include the Moon, planets, bright stars, and double stars. While narrowband imaging requires care, visual observing of most deep-sky objects or meteor showers is not fruitful here.

A substantial improvement can be found at East Miller Road in Louisiana, around 120 km to the east-south-east, offering Bortle 4 skies. Serious deep-sky observers in Beaumont should consider making the trip for a more rewarding experience.

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
Best nearby upgrade
East Miller Road, Louisiana sits about 122 km east south east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 18x darker.
Good dark window
Beaumont'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 Beaumont?

No. Beaumont is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.85, 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 Beaumont?

Beaumont is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.85), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Beaumont good for stargazing?

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

Is Beaumont good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Beaumont and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Beaumont without careful processing.

What can you observe from Beaumont?

Primary targets from Beaumont 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 Beaumont?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Beaumont, Texas, about 8 km east of Beaumont, reaching Bortle 7.

When is the sky darkest in Beaumont?

The sky over Beaumont is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Beaumont getting better or worse?

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

north - good

No noticeable light pollution to the north. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.

north-north-east - good

No noticeable light pollution to the north-north-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.

north-east - fair

A trace of skyglow near the north-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

east-north-east - fair

A faint diffuse glow on the east-north-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.

east - fair

Faint glow on the east horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.

east-south-east - marginal

Soft skyglow visible on the east-south-east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.

south-east - marginal

The south-east lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.

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 - fair

Light glow detectable on the south horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.

south-south-west - fair

A faint diffuse glow on the south-south-west horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.

south-west - fair

Faint glow on the south-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.

west-south-west - good

Dark sky in the west-south-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.

west - good

The west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.

west-north-west - good

Dark horizon to the west-north-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.

north-west - good

Dark sky in the north-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.

north-north-west - fair

Light glow detectable on the north-north-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.

zenith - poor

The overhead sky is washed out by artificial light. Constellation patterns are reduced to their brightest members.

  • Big Hill Road, Texas
    Direction
    S
    Distance (km)
    38.2
    SQM
    20.01
    Bortle
    6
  • Beaumont, Texas
    Direction
    E
    Distance (km)
    7.5
    SQM
    18.92
    Bortle
    7
  • Doornbos Road, Texas
    Direction
    SW
    Distance (km)
    47.3
    SQM
    19.79
    Bortle
    6
  • Newton County, Texas
    Direction
    NE
    Distance (km)
    51.1
    SQM
    19.80
    Bortle
    6
  • Bill Daniel Ranch, Texas
    Direction
    WNW
    Distance (km)
    75.7
    SQM
    19.95
    Bortle
    6
  • East Miller Road, Louisiana
    Direction
    ESE
    Distance (km)
    122.3
    SQM
    20.96
    Bortle
    4