Frankston Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Frankston
- City
- Frankston
- Country
- Australia
- Latitude
- -38.1463
- Longitude
- 145.1224
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 19.03
- Bortle class
- Class 7 (Class 7)
- Darkness Quotient
- 33%
- Dataset
- May 2026
Suburban/urban transition
Frankston: The Practical Verdict
Frankston, set in the region of Victoria, is a small city near the coast of Australia. The sky is characterised by high light pollution, making it a poor urban-suburban sky for astronomical observations. The proximity to Melbourne, located about 40 km to the north-north-west, adds to the challenge by brightening the horizon.
Due to the light pollution, the Milky Way is not visible from Frankston. However, enthusiasts might focus on targets such as the Moon and planets, bright double stars, and open clusters. Narrowband imaging may be feasible but requires careful processing. On the other hand, deep-sky objects like faint galaxies and nebulae should be avoided as they are challenging to observe.
For a significant improvement in dark-sky conditions, Pegarah in Tasmania is a suitable destination, found in the south-south-west direction. Although it's about 215 km away, the darker skies there are ideal for serious deep-sky observations.
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
- Pegarah, Tasmania sits about 216 km south south west and reaches Bortle 2, roughly 14x darker.
- Good dark window
- Frankston'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 Frankston?
No. Frankston is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.03, 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 Frankston?
Frankston is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.03), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.
Is Frankston good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Frankston 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 Frankston good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Frankston and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Narrowband imaging of bright emission nebulae remains viable from Frankston with appropriate Ha or OIII filters.
What can you observe from Frankston?
Primary targets from Frankston 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 Frankston?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Red Hill, Victoria, about 27 km south south west of Frankston, reaching Bortle 5.
When is the sky darkest in Frankston?
The sky over Frankston is darkest around June, July.
Is light pollution in Frankston getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Frankston has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the north horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
north-north-east - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the north-north-east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
north-east - marginal
The north-east lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
east-north-east - marginal
The east-north-east lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
east - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
east-south-east - good
Dark sky in the east-south-east direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south-east - good
Dark sky in the south-east direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south-south-east - good
The south-south-east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
south - good
Dark sky in the south direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south-south-west - good
The south-south-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
south-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the south-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
west-south-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the west-south-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
west - good
Dark horizon to the west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
west-north-west - good
The west-north-west horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
north-west - good
The north-west horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
north-north-west - fair
The north-north-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
zenith - fair
Overhead is brighter than natural but still usable. The Milky Way is absent; brighter Messier objects remain accessible.
-
Red Hill, Victoria
- Direction
- SSW
- Distance (km)
- 26.5
- SQM
- 20.70
- Bortle
- 5
-
Salt Mine Point Track, Victoria
- Direction
- SE
- Distance (km)
- 33.6
- SQM
- 20.66
- Bortle
- 5
-
Inverloch, Victoria
- Direction
- SE
- Distance (km)
- 76.7
- SQM
- 21.57
- Bortle
- 3
-
Dumbalk, Victoria
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 97.1
- SQM
- 21.63
- Bortle
- 3
-
Elliminyt, Victoria
- Direction
- WSW
- Distance (km)
- 143.2
- SQM
- 21.31
- Bortle
- 3
-
Pegarah, Tasmania
- Direction
- SSW
- Distance (km)
- 216.4
- SQM
- 21.92
- Bortle
- 2