Peoria Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Peoria
- City
- Peoria
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 40.6936
- Longitude
- -89.5890
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.67
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 20%
- Dataset
- May 2026
Inner city sky
Peoria: The Practical Verdict
Peoria, a mid-sized city in Illinois, presents severe challenges for astronomical observation due to its designation under extreme light pollution. The overall quality of the sky is poor for stargazing, rendering the Milky Way invisible.
Bright celestial targets such as the Moon, planets, double stars, and prominent solar system events can still be distinguished in the Peoria sky. However, more challenging astronomic pursuits, like deep-sky observing and meteor shower viewing, should be avoided due to pervasive urban light interference.
Sky quality improves significantly if you travel to a better location like 384, Illinois, around 95 km north-west, which offers a more suitable environment with a Bortle class 4 sky.
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
- Best nearby upgrade
- 384, Illinois sits about 93 km north west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 18x darker.
- Good dark window
- Peoria'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 Peoria?
No. Peoria is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.67, 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 Peoria?
Peoria is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.67), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is Peoria good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Peoria is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Peoria good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Peoria and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Peoria without careful processing.
What can you observe from Peoria?
Primary targets from Peoria 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 Peoria?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is 1300th Street, Illinois, about 65 km south of Peoria, reaching Bortle 5.
When is the sky darkest in Peoria?
The sky over Peoria is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Peoria getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Peoria has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - good
Dark horizon to the north. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
north-north-east - good
Dark horizon to the north-north-east. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
north-east - good
The north-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
east-north-east - good
The east-north-east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
east - good
The east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
east-south-east - good
The east-south-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
south-east - fair
Light glow detectable on the south-east horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
south-south-east - good
No noticeable light pollution to the south-south-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
south - fair
Faint glow on the south horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
south-south-west - fair
Light glow detectable on the south-south-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
south-west - good
The south-west horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
west-south-west - good
Dark horizon to the west-south-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
west - good
The west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
west-north-west - good
The west-north-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
north-west - good
Dark sky in the north-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
north-north-west - fair
Faint glow on the north-north-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
zenith - poor
The zenith sky background is high. Most faint stars are absent and the Milky Way cannot be seen.
-
1300th Street, Illinois
- Direction
- S
- Distance (km)
- 64.5
- SQM
- 20.46
- Bortle
- 5
-
384, Illinois
- Direction
- NW
- Distance (km)
- 92.5
- SQM
- 20.82
- Bortle
- 4
-
North 675 East Road, Illinois
- Direction
- SE
- Distance (km)
- 105.8
- SQM
- 20.35
- Bortle
- 5
-
Iroquois County, Illinois
- Direction
- E
- Distance (km)
- 135.8
- SQM
- 20.71
- Bortle
- 5
-
Pine Creek Township, Illinois
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 139.3
- SQM
- 20.68
- Bortle
- 5
-
Twnshp 1560N, Illinois
- Direction
- SW
- Distance (km)
- 171
- SQM
- 20.72
- Bortle
- 5