Jackson Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Jackson
- City
- Jackson
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 35.6145
- Longitude
- -88.8139
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 18.54
- Bortle class
- Class 8 (Class 8)
- Darkness Quotient
- 28%
- Dataset
- August 2026
City sky
Jackson: The Practical Verdict
Jackson, a small city in Tennessee, offers a sky heavily marked by light pollution. The city sky renders most deep-sky objects invisible, with the Milky Way completely erased from view. Unfortunately, astronomical quality here is categorically poor for serious deep-sky observations due to a consistent urban glow.
Despite the light pollution, stargazers can still enjoy observing the Moon, planets, and bright stars. Narrowband imaging is feasible but can be challenging, and focusing on solar system events is likely to yield the most rewarding views. Deep-sky and widefield Milky Way observations should be avoided due to the overwhelming brightness and washed-out contrast.
Should you seek a slight improvement, Hornsby, Tennessee, approximately 45 km to the south, presents a modest upgrade. Although the skies there are a bit darker, they do not dramatically change the observational opportunities. It's worth remembering that regional conditions like atmospheric transparency and local glare will often govern the experience more than the raw sky quality.
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
- Hornsby, Tennessee is the strongest nearby option but remains Bortle 5; the improvement is real but modest.
- Good dark window
- Jackson'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 Jackson?
No. Jackson is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.54, 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 Jackson?
Jackson is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.54), a poor city sky for astronomy.
Is Jackson good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Jackson is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Jackson good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Jackson and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Jackson without careful processing.
What can you observe from Jackson?
Primary targets from Jackson 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 Jackson?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Eurekaton, Tennessee, about 39 km west south west of Jackson, reaching Bortle 5.
When is the sky darkest in Jackson?
The sky over Jackson is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Jackson getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Jackson has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - good
The north horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
north-north-east - good
No noticeable light pollution to the north-north-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
north-east - good
No noticeable light pollution to the north-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
east-north-east - good
The east-north-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
east - good
No noticeable light pollution to the east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
east-south-east - good
Dark horizon to the east-south-east. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
south-east - good
Dark horizon to the south-east. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
south-south-east - good
The south-south-east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
south - good
The south sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
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
The south-west horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
west-south-west - good
Dark sky in the west-south-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
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
Dark horizon to the west-north-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
north-west - good
Dark horizon to the north-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
north-north-west - fair
Light glow detectable on the north-north-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
zenith - marginal
The zenith sky is clearly elevated above natural levels. Limiting magnitude is around 3.5.
-
Hornsby, Tennessee
- Direction
- S
- Distance (km)
- 43.6
- SQM
- 20.63
- Bortle
- 5
-
Eurekaton, Tennessee
- Direction
- WSW
- Distance (km)
- 38.8
- SQM
- 20.38
- Bortle
- 5
-
2280, Tennessee
- Direction
- SSE
- Distance (km)
- 70.7
- SQM
- 20.64
- Bortle
- 5
-
Fayette County, Tennessee
- Direction
- SW
- Distance (km)
- 73.7
- SQM
- 20.66
- Bortle
- 5
-
Humphreys County, Tennessee
- Direction
- ENE
- Distance (km)
- 85.9
- SQM
- 20.72
- Bortle
- 5
-
Wayne County, Tennessee
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 107.5
- SQM
- 20.77
- Bortle
- 5