Billings Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.38

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

26%

Dataset

May 2026

City sky

Billings: The Practical Verdict

Billings, located in Montana, is a small city with a population of around 120,000. Unfortunately, the city suffers from high light pollution, making it a poor location for stargazing. The urban sky washes out most celestial objects, and the Milky Way is completely obscured by the bright urban sky background.

From Billings, observers can realistically focus on bright objects like the Moon, planets, and bright stars, as well as performing narrowband imaging with careful attention to detail. Visual deep-sky observations, such as viewing galaxies or nebulae, remain largely impractical in this environment. The west-south-west horizon is notably brighter, whereas the east-south-east offers slightly cleaner views.

For a meaningful improvement, consider travelling to Meagher County, Montana, which lies about 235 km to the west-north-west. This area offers significantly darker skies under Bortle Class 2 conditions, making it well worth the effort for serious deep-sky observing.

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

Meagher County, Montana sits about 235 km west north west and reaches Bortle 2, roughly 22x darker.

Moderate dark window

Billings'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 Billings?

No. Billings is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.38, 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 Billings?

Billings is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.38), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Billings good for stargazing?

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

Is Billings good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Billings?

Primary targets from Billings 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 Billings?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Sweet Grass County, Montana, about 120 km west of Billings, reaching Bortle 3.

When is the sky darkest in Billings?

The sky over Billings is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Billings getting better or worse?

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

• Sweet Grass County, Montana

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  120

  SQM

  21.57

  Bortle

  3

• Meagher County, Montana

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  234.6

  SQM

  21.72

  Bortle

  2

• Chouteau County, Montana

  Direction

  NW

  Distance (km)

  252.9

  SQM

  21.72

  Bortle

  2