Newark Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

16.90

Bortle class

Class 9 (Class 9)

Darkness Quotient

15%

Dataset

July 2026

Inner city sky

Newark: The Practical Verdict

Newark is a mid-size city in New Jersey with a significant urban presence and its skies suffer heavily from light pollution. Observing conditions are severely hampered by a dense urban sky, making it challenging to see anything beyond the brightest celestial bodies.

The night sky here is dominated by extreme light pollution, with the Milky Way not visible at all. The best targets for observation include the Moon, planets, and brighter stars, while fainter deep-sky objects are almost completely obscured. This makes visual deep-sky observing impractical from here.

If you're keen on finding a darker sky, the Town of Willet, New York, offers some improvement, lying approximately 245 km to the north-north-west. However, do note that while it is an upgrade, the darkness improvement is limited.

At a Glance

Overall

Severe urban sky - This is a severely light-polluted urban sky. Only the Moon, planets, bright stars, and a few specialist targets remain practical.

Milky Way

Not visible - The Milky Way is not visible from this sky.

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

Town of Willet, New York is the strongest nearby option but remains Bortle 5; the improvement is real but modest.

Good dark window

Newark'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 Newark?

No. Newark is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 16.90, 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 Newark?

Newark is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 16.90), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Newark good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Newark is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.

Is Newark good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Newark and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Newark without careful processing.

What can you observe from Newark?

Primary targets from Newark 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 Newark?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Town of Monroe, New York, about 59 km west north west of Newark, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Newark?

The sky over Newark is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Newark getting better or worse?

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

• Town of Monroe, New York

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  58.6

  SQM

  19.62

  Bortle

  6

• Ramseysburg, New Jersey

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  74.1

  SQM

  19.91

  Bortle

  6

• Horseshoe Hill, New York

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  72.2

  SQM

  19.45

  Bortle

  7

• Hammonton, New Jersey

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  125.5

  SQM

  19.92

  Bortle

  6

• Town of Southold, New York

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  146.2

  SQM

  20.18

  Bortle

  6

• Town of Willet, New York

  Direction

  NNW

  Distance (km)

  243

  SQM

  20.51

  Bortle

  5