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)
- 17.85
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 22%
- Dataset
- August 2026
Inner city sky
Peoria: The Practical Verdict
Peoria, situated in the United States, is a mid-sized city characterised by high light pollution. The sky here is a severe urban one, making it difficult to observe more than the brightest celestial objects. The limiting factor is clearly the light pollution creating an inner city sky, where the Milky Way is entirely absent.
In such a light-polluted environment, observers should focus on targets like the Moon, planets, and bright stars, along with narrowband imaging endeavours undertaken with care. Avoid attempting to view visual deep-sky objects, as the overall sky brightness severely limits what can be seen.
For those seeking a truly dark-sky experience, heading east around 90 km to the location identified as 22547, Illinois offers a significant improvement with its Bortle Class 4 skies, suitable for serious deep-sky observing.
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
- 22547, Illinois sits about 92 km east 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 17.85, 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 17.85), 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 Knox Road 1450 East, Illinois, about 50 km west north west 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 - good
The north-north-west horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
zenith - poor
The zenith sky background is high. Most faint stars are absent and the Milky Way cannot be seen.
-
Knox Road 1450 East, Illinois
- Direction
- WNW
- Distance (km)
- 49.5
- SQM
- 20.55
- Bortle
- 5
-
1100 North, Illinois
- Direction
- NNW
- Distance (km)
- 54.3
- SQM
- 20.54
- Bortle
- 5
-
22547, Illinois
- Direction
- E
- Distance (km)
- 92.1
- SQM
- 20.98
- Bortle
- 4
-
Lostant, Illinois
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 77.7
- SQM
- 20.25
- Bortle
- 6
-
31067, Illinois
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 101.9
- SQM
- 20.72
- Bortle
- 5
-
Springfield, Illinois
- Direction
- S
- Distance (km)
- 103.3
- SQM
- 20.66
- Bortle
- 5