Mandurah Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

19.40

Bortle class

Class 7 (Class 7)

Darkness Quotient

38%

Dataset

May 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Mandurah: The Practical Verdict

Mandurah is a small city in Western Australia, situated in a suburban setting. Despite its coastal charm, stargazing from here is quite limited due to high light pollution. The Milky Way is not visible from this location, and overall conditions make for a poor urban or suburban sky.

What you can expect to see are the brighter celestial objects such as the Moon, planets, and some bright double stars and open clusters. However, visual deep-sky observing, Milky Way photography, and faint meteors are best avoided in these conditions.

For those with the ability to travel, Clifton, South South West of Mandurah, offers a meaningfully darker sky with a Bortle 3 rating. This nearby site provides a substantial upgrade for serious observing and is well worth the drive for better views of the cosmos.

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

Clifton, Western Australia sits about 26 km south south west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 6.5x darker.

Good dark window

Mandurah'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 Mandurah?

No. Mandurah is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.40, 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 Mandurah?

Mandurah is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.40), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Mandurah good for stargazing?

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

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

What can you observe from Mandurah?

Primary targets from Mandurah 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 Mandurah?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Falcon, Western Australia, about 8 km south west of Mandurah, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Mandurah?

The sky over Mandurah is darkest around June, July.

Is light pollution in Mandurah getting better or worse?

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

• Clifton, Western Australia

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  26.1

  SQM

  21.44

  Bortle

  3

• Falcon, Western Australia

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  7.7

  SQM

  20.37

  Bortle

  5

• Western Australia

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  20.8

  SQM

  19.97

  Bortle

  6

• Kirup, Western Australia

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  132.2

  SQM

  21.50

  Bortle

  3

• Digby Drive, Western Australia

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  54.9

  SQM

  20.22

  Bortle

  6

• Osmington, Western Australia

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  159.6

  SQM

  21.65

  Bortle

  3