Round Rock Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Round Rock
- City
- Round Rock
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 30.5083
- Longitude
- -97.6789
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 18.25
- Bortle class
- Class 8 (Class 8)
- Darkness Quotient
- 25%
- Dataset
- May 2026
City sky
Round Rock: The Practical Verdict
Round Rock is a small city located in Texas, characterised by its suburban setting. Unfortunately, the astronomy quality here is poor due to high light pollution. This bright city sky almost completely obscures the Milky Way.
In these conditions, the best targets are the Moon, planets, and bright stars. Double stars and solar system events are feasible, but more ambitious deep-sky projects like observing reflection nebulae or faint galaxies are not viable. The south-south-west horizon is particularly bright, with some respite towards the north-east.
To find slightly better skies for stargazing, head east to Burleson County, about 105 km away. Though it's a limited improvement, this area offers darker conditions that might be worth considering.
At a Glance
- Overall
- Poor city sky - This is a poor city sky. The Milky Way is not visible and most deep-sky observing is unrealistic from the location itself.
- Milky Way
- Not visible - The Milky Way is erased by the bright urban sky background.
- 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
- Burleson County, Texas is the strongest nearby option but remains Bortle 5; the improvement is real but modest.
- Good dark window
- Round Rock'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 Round Rock?
No. Round Rock is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.25, 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 Round Rock?
Round Rock is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.25), a poor city sky for astronomy.
Is Round Rock good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Round Rock is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Round Rock good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Round Rock and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Round Rock without careful processing.
What can you observe from Round Rock?
Primary targets from Round Rock 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 Round Rock?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is County Road 229, Texas, about 37 km west north west of Round Rock, reaching Bortle 6.
When is the sky darkest in Round Rock?
The sky over Round Rock is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Round Rock getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Round Rock has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the north horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
north-north-east - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the north-north-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
north-east - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the north-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
east-north-east - fair
Faint glow on the east-north-east horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
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 - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the east-south-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
south-east - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the south-east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
south-south-east - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the south-south-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
south - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the south horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
south-south-west - poor
The lower south-south-west sky is heavily light-polluted. Only the brightest stars stand out near the horizon.
south-west - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the south-west horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
west-south-west - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the west-south-west horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
west - marginal
The west lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
west-north-west - marginal
The west-north-west sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
north-west - fair
Light glow detectable on the north-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
north-north-west - fair
Light glow detectable on the north-north-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
zenith - marginal
The overhead sky is too bright for faint-object work. Bright stars, planets, and the brighter clusters are accessible.
-
County Road 229, Texas
- Direction
- WNW
- Distance (km)
- 36.7
- SQM
- 19.62
- Bortle
- 6
-
Burleson County, Texas
- Direction
- E
- Distance (km)
- 104.6
- SQM
- 20.38
- Bortle
- 5
-
River Road, Texas
- Direction
- N
- Distance (km)
- 140.6
- SQM
- 20.42
- Bortle
- 5
-
Sheridan, Texas
- Direction
- SE
- Distance (km)
- 151.4
- SQM
- 20.29
- Bortle
- 6
-
174 km S
- Direction
- S
- Distance (km)
- 174.4
- SQM
- 20.53
- Bortle
- 5
-
1568, Texas
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 180.7
- SQM
- 20.59
- Bortle
- 5