Dubbo Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

19.58

Bortle class

Class 7 (Class 7)

Darkness Quotient

41%

Dataset

May 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Dubbo: The Practical Verdict

Dubbo is a small city in New South Wales, located in a modestly light-polluted setting. The overall quality of astronomy from here is poor due to its urban and suburban sky, with the Milky Way not visible. Light pollution reduces the range of possible targets.

While the Moon, planets, bright double stars, and open clusters remain viable targets, and narrowband imaging can yield results with careful processing, visual deep-sky observing is not practical. Targets such as broadband galaxies and reflection nebulae are best avoided under these conditions.

For a significant improvement in sky quality, consider heading east towards Bunnan Road, New South Wales. This site offers a much darker sky with a Bortle 3 rating, and is about 200 km away.

At a Glance

Overall

Poor urban/suburban sky - This is a poor sky for astronomy. The Moon, planets, and a few bright objects remain viable, but deep-sky work is difficult.

Milky Way

Not visible - The Milky Way is not realistically visible from this level of light pollution.

Best targets from here

Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing

Do not prioritise

visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, Milky Way photography

Best nearby upgrade

Bunnan Road, New South Wales sits about 202 km east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 6.7x darker.

Good dark window

Dubbo's longest dark windows fall in June and July, with the shortest nights around December and January. For deep-sky imaging, winter gives the best combination of long nights and true astronomical darkness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Dubbo?

No. Dubbo is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.58, 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 Dubbo?

Dubbo is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.58), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Dubbo good for stargazing?

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

Is Dubbo good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Dubbo and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Narrowband imaging of bright emission nebulae remains viable from Dubbo with appropriate Ha or OIII filters.

What can you observe from Dubbo?

Primary targets from Dubbo include Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Dubbo?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Kandos, New South Wales, about 144 km east south east of Dubbo, reaching Bortle 4.

When is the sky darkest in Dubbo?

The sky over Dubbo is darkest around June, July.

Is light pollution in Dubbo getting better or worse?

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

• Kandos, New South Wales

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  143.7

  SQM

  21.00

  Bortle

  4

• Bunnan Road, New South Wales

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  202.1

  SQM

  21.65

  Bortle

  3

• Fullerton, New South Wales

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  219.4

  SQM

  21.65

  Bortle

  3