Billings Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.30

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

26%

Dataset

April 2026

City sky

Billings: The Practical Verdict

Billings, a small city in Montana, presents a challenging environment for stargazing due to high light pollution. The night sky is heavily affected by urban brightness, severely limiting visibility of faint celestial objects and erasing the Milky Way completely.

From here, observers can enjoy bright celestial objects such as the Moon, planets, and double stars. With narrowband imaging equipment and careful planning, bright nebulae might be made visible. However, deep-sky visual observing and wide-field photography are effectively impractical due to the sky's brightness.

For those seeking significantly darker skies, Mayoworth, Wyoming, south-east of here, offers a drastic improvement with Bortle 2 conditions. This makes it an ideal location for serious deep-sky observers and astrophotographers willing to make the effort.

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

Mayoworth, Wyoming sits about 256 km south east and reaches Bortle 2, roughly 23x darker.

Moderate dark window

Billings'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 Billings?

No. Billings is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.30, 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 Billings?

Billings is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.30), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Billings good for stargazing?

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

Is Billings good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Billings?

Primary targets from Billings 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 Billings?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Chouteau County, Montana, about 253 km north west of Billings, reaching Bortle 2.

When is the sky darkest in Billings?

The sky over Billings is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Billings getting better or worse?

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

• Chouteau County, Montana

  Direction

  NW

  Distance (km)

  252.5

  SQM

  21.71

  Bortle

  2

• Meagher County, Montana

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  252.5

  SQM

  21.70

  Bortle

  2

• Mayoworth, Wyoming

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  256.2

  SQM

  21.72

  Bortle

  2