Chicago Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Chicago

City
Chicago
Country
United States
Latitude
41.8781
Longitude
-87.6298

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
17.39
Bortle class
Class 9 (Class 9)
Darkness Quotient
18%
Dataset
April 2026

Inner city sky

Chicago: The Practical Verdict

Chicago, a major city in Illinois, presents typical conditions for stargazing from a dense urban environment. With severe urban sky quality, the Milky Way is completely obscured due to extreme light pollution, and visual deep-sky observation is impractical without specialised equipment.

Observing here is best focused on bright targets such as the Moon, prominent planets, and double stars, where their brightness stands out against the city's strong illumination. While narrowband imaging of specific bright nebulae is feasible with care, broadband astrophotography and widefield observations are exceedingly challenging, yielding uninspiring results.

For those seeking improved conditions, locations to the north-east such as Michigan, about 85 km away, offer a modest upgrade with slightly darker skies suitable for broader astrophotography or faint-object observing.

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
Limited nearby upgrade
Michigan is the strongest nearby option but remains Bortle 5; the improvement is real but modest.
Good dark window
Chicago'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 Chicago?

No. Chicago is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.39, 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 Chicago?

Chicago is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.39), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Chicago good for stargazing?

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

Is Chicago good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Chicago?

Primary targets from Chicago 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 Chicago?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Michigan, about 68 km east of Chicago, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Chicago?

The sky over Chicago is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Chicago getting better or worse?

There is not yet enough long-term data to give a confident trend for Chicago.

north - marginal

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

north-north-east - fair

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

north-east - fair

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

east-north-east - fair

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

east - fair

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

east-south-east - fair

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

south-east - fair

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

south-south-east - poor

Strong skyglow on the south-south-east horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.

south - poor

Strong skyglow on the south horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.

south-south-west - poor

Heavy light pollution to the south-south-west. The lower 30 degrees of sky in this direction are unusable for faint targets.

south-west - poor

Heavy light pollution to the south-west. The lower 30 degrees of sky in this direction are unusable for faint targets.

west-south-west - poor

The west-south-west horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.

west - poor

Strong skyglow on the west horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.

west-north-west - poor

The lower west-north-west sky is heavily light-polluted. Only the brightest stars stand out near the horizon.

north-west - poor

The lower north-west sky is heavily light-polluted. Only the brightest stars stand out near the horizon.

north-north-west - poor

The north-north-west sky is washed out near the horizon. Most constellation stars in the lower sky here are not visible.

zenith - poor

The zenith sky is bright. The Milky Way is absent and most constellation stars are not visible.

  • Michigan
    Direction
    E
    Distance (km)
    68.4
    SQM
    20.51
    Bortle
    5
  • Michigan
    Direction
    NE
    Distance (km)
    83
    SQM
    20.62
    Bortle
    5
  • North 100 East, Indiana
    Direction
    SSE
    Distance (km)
    125.1
    SQM
    20.28
    Bortle
    6
  • Town of Hebron, Wisconsin
    Direction
    NNW
    Distance (km)
    147.8
    SQM
    20.33
    Bortle
    5
  • Michigan
    Direction
    SSE
    Distance (km)
    208.5
    SQM
    20.76
    Bortle
    5