Madison Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Madison
- City
- Madison
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 43.0731
- Longitude
- -89.4012
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 18.38
- Bortle class
- Class 8 (Class 8)
- Darkness Quotient
- 26%
- Dataset
- April 2026
City sky
Madison: The Practical Verdict
Madison, a mid-size city in Wisconsin, faces significant light pollution issues that make stargazing challenging. The urban glow dominates the night sky, placing it in the high light pollution tier and rendering the Milky Way invisible. Only the brightest celestial objects are truly observable here.
Close targets like the Moon, planets, and double stars are worth focusing on, as they remain visible above the city's light. Narrowband imaging is feasible with care, but visual observation of faint deep-sky objects should be avoided. The north-west horizon offers the cleanest view, so aiming observations in that direction may yield the best results.
For those seeking darker skies, the Town of Lowell, around 55 km east-north-east, offers mild improvement with its lesser Bortle 5 rating. However, substantial upgrades will necessitate travelling to sites with pristine conditions.
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
- Town of Lowell, Wisconsin is the strongest nearby option but remains Bortle 5; the improvement is real but modest.
- Good dark window
- Madison'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 Madison?
No. Madison is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.38, 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 Madison?
Madison is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.38), a poor city sky for astronomy.
Is Madison good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Madison is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Madison good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Madison and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Madison without careful processing.
What can you observe from Madison?
Primary targets from Madison 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 Madison?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Cainville, Wisconsin, about 43 km south south east of Madison, reaching Bortle 6.
When is the sky darkest in Madison?
The sky over Madison is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Madison getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Madison has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - good
The north sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
north-north-east - marginal
The north-north-east sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
north-east - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the north-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
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 trace of skyglow near the east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
east-south-east - good
No noticeable light pollution to the east-south-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
south-east - good
The south-east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
south-south-east - good
Dark sky in the south-south-east direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south - good
Dark sky in the south direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south-south-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the south-south-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
south-west - fair
A trace of skyglow near the south-west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
west-south-west - good
Dark horizon to the west-south-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
west - good
Dark sky in the west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
west-north-west - good
The west-north-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
north-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the north-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
north-north-west - good
Dark horizon to the north-north-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
zenith - marginal
The overhead sky background is high. Bright stars and planets are clear; faint stars are suppressed.
-
Cainville, Wisconsin
- Direction
- SSE
- Distance (km)
- 43.1
- SQM
- 20.09
- Bortle
- 6
-
Town of Lowell, Wisconsin
- Direction
- ENE
- Distance (km)
- 56
- SQM
- 20.37
- Bortle
- 5
-
Town of Lima, Wisconsin
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 59.4
- SQM
- 20.24
- Bortle
- 6
-
Town of Jackson, Wisconsin
- Direction
- NW
- Distance (km)
- 84.1
- SQM
- 20.40
- Bortle
- 5