St. Louis Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near St. Louis
- City
- St. Louis
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 38.6270
- Longitude
- -90.1994
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.16
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 17%
- Dataset
- August 2026
Inner city sky
St. Louis: The Practical Verdict
St. Louis is a major city in Missouri, characterised by its dense urban setting and severe light pollution. The sky quality is classified as an inner city sky, making it challenging for stargazing enthusiasts. The severe urban sky limits most deep-sky observing, and the Milky Way is simply not visible.
From this sky, the Moon, planets, and bright stars stand as the most viable targets, with double stars and lunar events offering occasional interest. While narrowband imaging is possible with care, faint nebulae and wide-field observations should be avoided. The cleanest sightlines are to the south-south-east with the north-west horizon being the brightest, impacting visibility in those areas.
Nearby sites, such as Fayette County, Illinois, to the north-east offer a limited upgrade with moderate improvements. It takes around two hours to reach a slightly darker experience. Observing enthusiasts looking for deeper skies might need a longer drive to find significant improvements.
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
- Limited nearby upgrade
- Fayette County, Illinois is the strongest nearby option but remains Bortle 5; the improvement is real but modest.
- Good dark window
- St. Louis'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 St. Louis?
No. St. Louis is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.16, 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 St. Louis?
St. Louis is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.16), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is St. Louis good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. St. Louis is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is St. Louis good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from St. Louis and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from St. Louis without careful processing.
What can you observe from St. Louis?
Primary targets from St. Louis 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 St. Louis?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Pinckneyville, Illinois, about 80 km south east of St. Louis, reaching Bortle 5.
When is the sky darkest in St. Louis?
The sky over St. Louis is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in St. Louis getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over St. Louis has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the north horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
north-north-east - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the north-north-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
north-east - marginal
Noticeable glow on the north-east horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
east-north-east - fair
The east-north-east sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
east - fair
Light glow detectable on the east horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
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 - fair
A trace of skyglow near the south-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
south-south-east - fair
A trace of skyglow near the south-south-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
south - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the south horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
south-south-west - fair
The south-south-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
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
Noticeable glow on the west horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
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 - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the north-west horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
north-north-west - marginal
The north-north-west sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
zenith - poor
The overhead sky is washed out by artificial light. Constellation patterns are reduced to their brightest members.
-
Pinckneyville, Illinois
- Direction
- SE
- Distance (km)
- 80.3
- SQM
- 20.59
- Bortle
- 5
-
Henry Road, Illinois
- Direction
- NNE
- Distance (km)
- 95.3
- SQM
- 20.40
- Bortle
- 5
-
Fayette County, Illinois
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 114.2
- SQM
- 20.77
- Bortle
- 5
-
County Route 205, Missouri
- Direction
- W
- Distance (km)
- 133.9
- SQM
- 20.61
- Bortle
- 5
-
Field Road, Missouri
- Direction
- S
- Distance (km)
- 218.6
- SQM
- 20.78
- Bortle
- 5
-
225 km E
- Direction
- E
- Distance (km)
- 225.4
- SQM
- 20.80
- Bortle
- 5