Shreveport Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.14

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

24%

Dataset

July 2026

City sky

Shreveport: The Practical Verdict

Shreveport, a mid-size city in Louisiana, experiences high light pollution, presenting a poor city sky for stargazing. This airglow and artificial light substantially impair astronomical visibility, erasing the Milky Way entirely from the night sky. Viewing conditions are limited by this urban brightness, focusing efforts mainly on brighter objects.

From this location, observers can realistically aim for the Moon, planets, bright stars, and double stars. However, faint deep-sky objects are essentially out of reach, and even bright nebulae need narrowband filters and care to view meaningfully. The south-south-west horizon is notably brighter, but you can find a slightly cleaner gap to the north-north-west.

For those seeking darker skies, Vernon Parish, Louisiana, offers a much better option in a more rural direction to the south-south-east, around a two-hour drive away. It provides a Bortle 4 experience, markedly superior for any serious deep-sky observing.

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

Best nearby upgrade

Vernon Parish, Louisiana sits about 167 km south south east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 14x darker.

Good dark window

Shreveport'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 Shreveport?

No. Shreveport is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.14, 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 Shreveport?

Shreveport is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.14), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Shreveport good for stargazing?

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

Is Shreveport good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Shreveport?

Primary targets from Shreveport 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 Shreveport?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Webster Parish, Louisiana, about 50 km north east of Shreveport, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Shreveport?

The sky over Shreveport is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Shreveport getting better or worse?

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

• Webster Parish, Louisiana

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  50.4

  SQM

  20.44

  Bortle

  5

• County Road 310, Texas

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  53

  SQM

  19.96

  Bortle

  6

• Jenkins Lease Road, Louisiana

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  62.4

  SQM

  20.18

  Bortle

  6

• Vernon Parish, Louisiana

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  167.2

  SQM

  20.99

  Bortle

  4

• Sam Rayburn, Texas

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  166.3

  SQM

  20.69

  Bortle

  5