Launceston Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

19.00

Bortle class

Class 7 (Class 7)

Darkness Quotient

33%

Dataset

April 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Launceston: The Practical Verdict

Launceston, a small city in Tasmania, is characterised by significant urban light pollution. Overall, the skies here fall into a high light pollution category, and the Milky Way is entirely obscured from view.

Under these conditions, the Moon, major planets, some bright double stars, and a few open clusters remain accessible for visual observing, while deep-sky visual targets and Milky Way photography are practically unachievable. The southern horizon is the brightest due to the city’s light dome, leaving the north-eastern directions as the cleanest observational line of sight.

For better stargazing opportunities, readers could consider travelling to Kamona, Tasmania, located about 55 kilometres north-east. This site provides significantly darker conditions, which would allow a much broader range of deep-sky objects to become accessible.

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

Kamona, Tasmania sits about 57 km north east and reaches Bortle 2, roughly 12x darker.

Good dark window

Launceston'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 Launceston?

No. Launceston is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.00, 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 Launceston?

Launceston is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.00), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Launceston good for stargazing?

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

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

What can you observe from Launceston?

Primary targets from Launceston 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 Launceston?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Bangor, Tasmania, about 26 km south east of Launceston, reaching Bortle 3.

When is the sky darkest in Launceston?

The sky over Launceston is darkest around June, July.

Is light pollution in Launceston getting better or worse?

There is not yet enough long-term data to give a confident trend for Launceston.

• Bangor, Tasmania

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  25.6

  SQM

  21.44

  Bortle

  3

• Upper Esk, Tasmania

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  50.6

  SQM

  21.68

  Bortle

  3

• Kamona, Tasmania

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  56.6

  SQM

  21.74

  Bortle

  2

• Avoca, Tasmania

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  58.1

  SQM

  21.72

  Bortle

  2

• Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  90.5

  SQM

  21.73

  Bortle

  2

• Loyetea, Tasmania

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  100.6

  SQM

  21.61

  Bortle

  3