Green Bay Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Green Bay
- City
- Green Bay
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 44.5133
- Longitude
- -88.0133
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 18.14
- Bortle class
- Class 8 (Class 8)
- Darkness Quotient
- 24%
- Dataset
- August 2026
City sky
Green Bay: The Practical Verdict
Green Bay, located in the heart of Wisconsin, is a mid-sized city characterised by its suburban layout. Unfortunately, the stargazing conditions here are not favourable, with a poor city sky that falls into the high light pollution category. The urban environment means that observations of astronomical objects are significantly hindered.
The Milky Way cannot be seen due to the bright urban sky. Observing is therefore best reserved for the Moon, planets, bright stars, and solar system events, while faint deep-sky observing is not viable. Efforts on faint nebulae or broad visual deep-sky work are particularly hampered by the light pollution.
For those seeking a marginally darker sky, the Town of Lebanon to the west south-west offers a modest improvement. However, the nearby options do not offer a drastic change, making it clear that substantial improvements would require a significant trip to find much darker skies.
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
- Limited nearby upgrade
- Town of Lebanon, Wisconsin is the strongest nearby option but remains Bortle 5; the improvement is real but modest.
- Good dark window
- Green Bay'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 Green Bay?
No. Green Bay is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.14, 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 Green Bay?
Green Bay is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.14), a poor city sky for astronomy.
Is Green Bay good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Green Bay is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Green Bay good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Green Bay and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Green Bay without careful processing.
What can you observe from Green Bay?
Primary targets from Green Bay 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 Green Bay?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Red Smith, Wisconsin, about 9 km east north east of Green Bay, reaching Bortle 6.
When is the sky darkest in Green Bay?
The sky over Green Bay is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Green Bay getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Green Bay has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - good
Dark horizon to the north. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
north-north-east - good
Dark horizon to the north-north-east. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
north-east - good
The north-east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
east-north-east - good
No noticeable light pollution to the east-north-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
east - good
Dark sky in the east direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
east-south-east - good
The east-south-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
south-east - good
No noticeable light pollution to the south-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
south-south-east - good
No noticeable light pollution to the south-south-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
south - good
The south horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
south-south-west - fair
Light glow detectable on the south-south-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
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 - good
Dark horizon to the west-south-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
west-north-west - good
The west-north-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
north-west - good
The north-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
north-north-west - good
The north-north-west horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
zenith - marginal
The zenith is brighter than natural. The Milky Way cannot be seen and faint deep-sky objects are not accessible.
-
Red Smith, Wisconsin
- Direction
- ENE
- Distance (km)
- 9.2
- SQM
- 19.95
- Bortle
- 6
-
Oconto County, Wisconsin
- Direction
- NNE
- Distance (km)
- 32.1
- SQM
- 20.34
- Bortle
- 5
-
Town of Lebanon, Wisconsin
- Direction
- WSW
- Distance (km)
- 58.5
- SQM
- 20.50
- Bortle
- 5
-
Town of Hustisford, Wisconsin
- Direction
- SSW
- Distance (km)
- 136.3
- SQM
- 20.40
- Bortle
- 5