Kalgoorlie Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

19.12

Bortle class

Class 7 (Class 7)

Darkness Quotient

35%

Dataset

August 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Kalgoorlie: The Practical Verdict

Kalgoorlie, nestled in Western Australia, is a small city where stargazing is a challenge due to high light pollution. The overall condition is a poor urban/suburban sky, with the Milky Way not visible at all. This environment strongly limits the visibility of deep-sky objects.

From Kalgoorlie, the Moon, planets, bright double stars, and open clusters remain your primary observational targets. Narrowband imaging can still yield results with careful processing, particularly for bright emission nebulae, though deep-sky observing for galaxies and reflection nebulae should be avoided.

For a substantial improvement, consider heading to Fraser Range, about 210 km south-east of Kalgoorlie. This site boasts a Bortle 2 sky, offering a significantly darker and superior stargazing experience.

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 210 km 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 Norseman, Western Australia, about 186 km south of Kalgoorlie, reaching Bortle 3.

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.

• Norseman, Western Australia

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  185.6

  SQM

  21.54

  Bortle

  3

• Fraser Range, Western Australia

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  210

  SQM

  21.81

  Bortle

  2

• Fraser Range, Western Australia

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  211.1

  SQM

  21.70

  Bortle

  2