Grafton Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

20.19

Bortle class

Class 6 (Class 6)

Darkness Quotient

51%

Dataset

April 2026

Bright suburban sky

Grafton: The Practical Verdict

Grafton, a small town in New South Wales, provides night skies moderately affected by suburban light pollution. Overall, the setting is better suited for casual visual and planetary observing rather than serious deep-sky exploration. The brightest objects in the night sky such as the Moon and major planets remain visually accessible.

Under these skies, bright open clusters, double stars, and certain nebula cores are visible enough for satisfying observations, with narrowband imaging being a reasonable pursuit. However, the abundance of stray light effectively obscures fainter objects such as reflection nebulae and distant broadband galaxies. The Milky Way is not discernible due to the sky brightness.

For those seeking vastly better conditions, heading east to nearby Tucabia in New South Wales promises a notable improvement. Only about 20 km away, this location offers a much darker sky, classified as Bortle 3, ideal for ambitious deep-sky observation and photography sessions.

At a Glance

Overall

Limited suburban sky - This is a limited sky for astronomy. The brightest targets remain accessible, but faint deep-sky observing is heavily compromised.

Milky Way

Not visible - The sky background is generally too bright for a reliable Milky Way view.

Best targets from here

Moon, planets, double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging, bright nebula cores

Do not prioritise

broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, visual faint nebulae, Milky Way photography

Best nearby upgrade

Tucabia, New South Wales sits about 20 km east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 3.7x darker.

Good dark window

Grafton's longest dark windows fall in June and July, with the shortest nights around December and January. For deep-sky imaging, winter gives the best combination of long nights and true astronomical darkness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Grafton?

No. Grafton is a Bortle Class 6 sky with SQM 20.19, 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 Grafton?

Grafton is Bortle Class 6 (SQM 20.19), a limited suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Grafton good for stargazing?

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

Is Grafton good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Grafton and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Narrowband imaging of bright emission nebulae remains viable from Grafton with appropriate Ha or OIII filters.

What can you observe from Grafton?

Primary targets from Grafton include Moon, planets, double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging. Targets such as broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, visual faint nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Grafton?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Tucabia, New South Wales, about 20 km east of Grafton, reaching Bortle 3.

When is the sky darkest in Grafton?

The sky over Grafton is darkest around June, July.

Is light pollution in Grafton getting better or worse?

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

• Tucabia, New South Wales

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  20

  SQM

  21.62

  Bortle

  3

• Calamia, New South Wales

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  22.9

  SQM

  21.50

  Bortle

  3

• Sherwood, New South Wales

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  34.8

  SQM

  21.53

  Bortle

  3

• Bora Ridge, New South Wales

  Direction

  NNE

  Distance (km)

  76

  SQM

  21.55

  Bortle

  3