Evansville Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Evansville

City
Evansville
Country
United States
Latitude
37.9748
Longitude
-87.5558

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
18.07
Bortle class
Class 8 (Class 8)
Darkness Quotient
24%
Dataset
April 2026

City sky

Evansville: The Practical Verdict

Evansville, a mid-size city in Indiana, offers an urban observing setting typical of cities with high light pollution. The overall condition of the sky is poor for astronomy, rated Bortle 8, and the Milky Way is not visible even under ideal dark night conditions. Light pollution, notably bright towards the east, severely limits deep-sky observing.

From within the city, the most practical targets are the Moon, planets, bright stars, and double stars. Efforts to observe faint nebulae or visual deep-sky targets are ineffective due to the urban sky brightness. Narrowband imaging could still be possible with careful adaptation to the strong gradients caused by the light background.

For those seeking substantial improvement, Axel Creek Road in Kentucky is a recommended escape, situated around two hours south-south-west of Evansville. Offering Bortle 4 skies, this site provides a meaningful upgrade for deep-sky enthusiasts.

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
Axel Creek Road, Kentucky sits about 101 km south south west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 13x darker.
Good dark window
Evansville'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 Evansville?

No. Evansville is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.07, 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 Evansville?

Evansville is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.07), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Evansville good for stargazing?

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

Is Evansville good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Evansville?

Primary targets from Evansville 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 Evansville?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Wadesville, Indiana, about 22 km north west of Evansville, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Evansville?

The sky over Evansville is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Evansville getting better or worse?

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

north - fair

Mild brightening on the north horizon. Faint stars at the very lowest elevation are dimmed; otherwise unaffected.

north-north-east - fair

The north-north-east horizon is mostly dark with a hint of light pollution. Faint stars are accessible above about 10 degrees.

north-east - good

The north-east sky shows no obvious glow at ground level. Faint stars are clear at low elevation.

east-north-east - good

The east-north-east horizon is free of artificial brightening. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground.

east - fair

The east horizon is mostly dark with a hint of light pollution. Faint stars are accessible above about 10 degrees.

east-south-east - good

No visible glow on the east-south-east horizon. Stars are clear down to low elevation in this direction.

south-east - good

Clean, dark sky to the south-east. No visible artificial light source affects this quarter.

south-south-east - good

The south-south-east horizon is free of artificial brightening. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground.

south - fair

Subtle skyglow on the south horizon. Faint stars below about 10 degrees here are slightly suppressed.

south-south-west - good

The south-south-west sky shows no obvious glow at ground level. Faint stars are clear at low elevation.

south-west - good

No visible glow on the south-west horizon. Stars are clear down to low elevation in this direction.

west-south-west - good

The west-south-west sky shows no obvious glow at ground level. Faint stars are clear at low elevation.

west - good

Clean, dark sky to the west. No visible artificial light source affects this quarter.

west-north-west - good

No visible glow on the west-north-west horizon. Stars are clear down to low elevation in this direction.

north-west - good

Clean, dark sky to the north-west. No visible artificial light source affects this quarter.

north-north-west - good

Clean, dark sky to the north-north-west. No visible artificial light source affects this quarter.

zenith - marginal

Overhead, faint stars are largely washed out. Major bright stars and planets remain visible.

  • Wadesville, Indiana
    Direction
    NW
    Distance (km)
    21.9
    SQM
    20.29
    Bortle
    6
  • County Road 330 South, Indiana
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    37.7
    SQM
    20.62
    Bortle
    5
  • Axel Creek Road, Kentucky
    Direction
    SSW
    Distance (km)
    101.2
    SQM
    20.84
    Bortle
    4
  • Crawford County, Indiana
    Direction
    ENE
    Distance (km)
    96.3
    SQM
    20.44
    Bortle
    5
  • Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
    Direction
    SSE
    Distance (km)
    100.3
    SQM
    20.48
    Bortle
    5
  • Route 49, Illinois
    Direction
    SSW
    Distance (km)
    173
    SQM
    20.77
    Bortle
    5