Birmingham Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Birmingham

City
Birmingham
Country
United States
Latitude
33.5186
Longitude
-86.8104

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
17.37
Bortle class
Class 9 (Class 9)
Darkness Quotient
18%
Dataset
July 2026

Inner city sky

Birmingham: The Practical Verdict

Birmingham, a major city in Alabama, suffers from extreme light pollution typical of large urban centres. The overall quality for stargazing is poor, characterised by a severe urban sky. The city's brightness, particularly towards the south horizon, significantly limits visibility.

While the Moon, planets, and bright stars can be observed, deep-sky pursuits such as visual deep-sky observing or capturing the Milky Way are not feasible. Narrowband imaging might be possible but requires care. To improve visibility of deep-sky objects, a visit to a site like Doyle, Alabama, about 185 km to the south-south-west, offers a better alternative.

Should serious observing be your goal, it's worth the effort to travel the roughly 185 km to Doyle, where darker skies await. From there, the increased visibility allows for more productive stargazing experiences.

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
Doyle, Alabama sits about 186 km south south west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 29x darker.
Good dark window
Birmingham'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 Birmingham?

No. Birmingham is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.37, 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 Birmingham?

Birmingham is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.37), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Birmingham good for stargazing?

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

Is Birmingham good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Birmingham?

Primary targets from Birmingham 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 Birmingham?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Cleveland, Alabama, about 58 km north north east of Birmingham, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Birmingham?

The sky over Birmingham is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Birmingham getting better or worse?

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

north - marginal

Noticeable glow on the north horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.

north-north-east - fair

The north-north-east sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.

north-east - marginal

Noticeable glow on the north-east horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.

east-north-east - fair

The east-north-east sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.

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 - fair

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

south-east - marginal

The south-east sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.

south-south-east - fair

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

south - marginal

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

south-south-west - fair

The south-south-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.

south-west - fair

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

west-south-west - fair

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

west - fair

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

west-north-west - good

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

north-west - fair

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

north-north-west - fair

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

zenith - poor

The zenith sky background is high. Most faint stars are absent and the Milky Way cannot be seen.

  • Cleveland, Alabama
    Direction
    NNE
    Distance (km)
    57.9
    SQM
    20.07
    Bortle
    6
  • 121, Alabama
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    76.3
    SQM
    20.24
    Bortle
    6
  • Bentleyville, Alabama
    Direction
    SE
    Distance (km)
    81
    SQM
    20.08
    Bortle
    6
  • 800, Alabama
    Direction
    E
    Distance (km)
    103.3
    SQM
    20.59
    Bortle
    5
  • Jacksonville, Alabama
    Direction
    ENE
    Distance (km)
    110.7
    SQM
    20.55
    Bortle
    5
  • Doyle, Alabama
    Direction
    SSW
    Distance (km)
    185.8
    SQM
    21.02
    Bortle
    4