Kalgoorlie Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

19.12

Bortle class

Class 7 (Class 7)

Darkness Quotient

35%

Dataset

May 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Kalgoorlie: The Practical Verdict

Kalgoorlie, situated in Western Australia, is a town primarily bathed in high light pollution, offering a sky that is not ideal for deep-sky observation. The overall quality for astronomy here is poor, with the sky characterised as suburban to urban transition, limiting most stargazing activities. The southern horizon is markedly brighter than the cleaner north-west, affecting views significantly.

Within Kalgoorlie's light-polluted skies, the Milky Way is not realistically visible, relegating viewers to focus on more robust celestial bodies. Observers will find the Moon, planets, bright double stars, and open clusters more accessible. However, deep-sky enthusiasts should avoid targets that require low light pollution, such as broadband galaxies and faint nebulae.

For a significant improvement, the Fraser Range about 240 km to the east-south-east offers clearer skies with much lower pollution. As a true dark site, it provides a vastly improved environment for deep-sky observations and photography.

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

Fraser Range, Western Australia sits about 240 km east south east and reaches Bortle 2, roughly 12x darker.

Good dark window

Kalgoorlie'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 Kalgoorlie?

No. Kalgoorlie is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.12, 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 Kalgoorlie?

Kalgoorlie is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.12), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Kalgoorlie good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Kalgoorlie 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 Kalgoorlie good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Kalgoorlie?

Primary targets from Kalgoorlie 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 Kalgoorlie?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Fraser Range, Western Australia, about 183 km south east of Kalgoorlie, reaching Bortle 2.

When is the sky darkest in Kalgoorlie?

The sky over Kalgoorlie is darkest around June, July.

Is light pollution in Kalgoorlie getting better or worse?

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

• Fraser Range, Western Australia

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  182.5

  SQM

  21.80

  Bortle

  2

• Fraser Range, Western Australia

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  203.1

  SQM

  21.67

  Bortle

  3

• Fraser Range, Western Australia

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  240

  SQM

  21.86

  Bortle

  2