Bellevue Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.21

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

25%

Dataset

May 2026

City sky

Bellevue: The Practical Verdict

Bellevue, a small city in Washington state, is characterised by its high light pollution due to its suburban setting near Seattle. The city's sky quality is poor, offering minimal opportunities for serious astronomical observation. The most significant limiting factor is the substantial urban glow, which obscures all but the brightest objects in the night sky.

From Bellevue, the Moon, planets, and bright stars are your most reliable targets. However, the Milky Way is completely invisible here. While narrowband imaging can be attempted with care, broad deep-sky and faint target observations are impractical.

For a genuinely darker site, Grays Harbor County, Washington is about 110 km to the west south west. This location offers a much improved Bortle 4 sky, making it worthwhile for dedicated stargazers seeking better conditions for more demanding observations.

At a Glance

Overall

Poor city sky - This is a poor city sky. The Milky Way is not visible and most deep-sky observing is unrealistic from the location itself.

Milky Way

Not visible - The Milky Way is erased by the bright urban sky background.

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

Grays Harbor County, Washington sits about 110 km west south west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 15x darker.

Moderate dark window

Bellevue'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 Bellevue?

No. Bellevue is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.21, 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 Bellevue?

Bellevue is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.21), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Bellevue good for stargazing?

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

Is Bellevue good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Bellevue?

Primary targets from Bellevue 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 Bellevue?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Canterwood, Washington, about 42 km south west of Bellevue, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Bellevue?

The sky over Bellevue is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Bellevue getting better or worse?

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

• Canterwood, Washington

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  41.7

  SQM

  20.15

  Bortle

  6

• Uncas, Washington

  Direction

  NW

  Distance (km)

  64

  SQM

  20.75

  Bortle

  5

• Grays Harbor County, Washington

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  109.8

  SQM

  21.18

  Bortle

  4

• Mount Vernon, Washington

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  94.4

  SQM

  20.42

  Bortle

  5

• Skyline Trail, Washington

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  113.2

  SQM

  20.85

  Bortle

  4

• Taneum Ridge Trail, Washington

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  105.1

  SQM

  20.57

  Bortle

  5