Pittsburgh Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Pittsburgh
- City
- Pittsburgh
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 40.4406
- Longitude
- -79.9959
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.52
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 19%
- Dataset
- July 2026
Inner city sky
Pittsburgh: The Practical Verdict
Pittsburgh is a major city in the United States with an extensive population of around 2.4 million people. The urban density results in a sky characterised by extreme light pollution, making it unfavourable for dark-sky astronomy. The severe urban sky limits stargazing primarily to bright objects.
In this extremely light-polluted environment, only the Moon, planets, bright stars, and double stars can be confidently observed. Narrowband imaging is possible, although it requires careful attention to detail. Any attempt at visual deep-sky observing or widefield Milky Way photography is strongly discouraged here.
For those seeking considerably darker skies, a trip to a Bortle 4 site to the east north-east, approximately 210 km away, offers a noticeable improvement and would be beneficial for serious stargazers.
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
- 208 km ENE sits about 208 km east north east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 26x darker.
- Good dark window
- Pittsburgh'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 Pittsburgh?
No. Pittsburgh is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.52, 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 Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.52), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is Pittsburgh good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Pittsburgh is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Pittsburgh good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Pittsburgh and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Pittsburgh without careful processing.
What can you observe from Pittsburgh?
Primary targets from Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is 65 km SSW, about 65 km south south west of Pittsburgh, reaching Bortle 6.
When is the sky darkest in Pittsburgh?
The sky over Pittsburgh is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Pittsburgh getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Pittsburgh has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - fair
Faint glow on the north horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
north-north-east - fair
A trace of skyglow near the north-north-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
north-east - fair
A trace of skyglow near the north-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
east-north-east - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the east-north-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
east - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
east-south-east - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the east-south-east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
south-east - marginal
The south-east lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
south-south-east - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the south-south-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
south - fair
A trace of skyglow near the south horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
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 - fair
Faint glow on the south-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
west-south-west - fair
The west-south-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
west - fair
Light glow detectable on the west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
west-north-west - fair
Light glow detectable on the west-north-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
north-west - fair
The north-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
north-north-west - fair
The north-north-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
zenith - poor
The overhead sky is washed out by artificial light. Constellation patterns are reduced to their brightest members.
-
65 km SSW
- Direction
- SSW
- Distance (km)
- 65.2
- SQM
- 20.17
- Bortle
- 6
-
87 km E
- Direction
- E
- Distance (km)
- 86.6
- SQM
- 20.24
- Bortle
- 6
-
106 km E
- Direction
- E
- Distance (km)
- 106.4
- SQM
- 20.36
- Bortle
- 5
-
125 km NNE
- Direction
- NNE
- Distance (km)
- 124.9
- SQM
- 20.52
- Bortle
- 5
-
147 km SW
- Direction
- SW
- Distance (km)
- 147.1
- SQM
- 20.86
- Bortle
- 4
-
208 km ENE
- Direction
- ENE
- Distance (km)
- 207.8
- SQM
- 21.05
- Bortle
- 4