Midland Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Midland
- City
- Midland
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 31.9973
- Longitude
- -102.0779
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 18.42
- Bortle class
- Class 8 (Class 8)
- Darkness Quotient
- 27%
- Dataset
- April 2026
City sky
Midland: The Practical Verdict
Midland, a small city in Texas, offers limited conditions for stargazing due to consistently high urban light pollution. The sky here falls under the "poor city sky" category, with the Milky Way entirely obscured and deep-sky observation compromised.
Bright objects such as the Moon, planets, and brighter stars remain well-visible, and double stars can be observed effectively. Imaging of narrowband targets is possible but requires care to manage gradients imposed by strong skyglow. However, faint deep-sky objects, broadband galaxies, and meteor showers are significantly impacted and best avoided.
For an upgrade, serious observers may consider travelling east to a site 235 km away, providing Bortle 4 skies and a markedly improved experience for deep-sky observing and astrophotography.
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
- 236 km E sits about 236 km east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 9.5x darker.
- Good dark window
- Midland'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 Midland?
No. Midland is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.42, 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 Midland?
Midland is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.42), a poor city sky for astronomy.
Is Midland good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Midland is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Midland good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Midland and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Midland without careful processing.
What can you observe from Midland?
Primary targets from Midland 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 Midland?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is 40 km SSE, about 40 km south south east of Midland, reaching Bortle 6.
When is the sky darkest in Midland?
The sky over Midland is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Midland getting better or worse?
The long-term trend for Midland is gradually worsening, with the sky brightening by about 0.05 SQM per year.
north - fair
Light glow detectable on the north horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
north-north-east - fair
The north-north-east sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
north-east - fair
A trace of skyglow near the north-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
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
Faint glow on the east-south-east horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
south-east - fair
Light glow detectable on the south-east horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
south-south-east - good
Dark horizon to the south-south-east. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
south - fair
Faint glow on the south horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
south-south-west - fair
Faint glow on the south-south-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
south-west - fair
Faint glow on the south-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
west-south-west - fair
A trace of skyglow near the west-south-west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
west - fair
Faint glow on the west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
west-north-west - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the west-north-west horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
north-west - good
Dark sky in the north-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
north-north-west - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the north-north-west horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
zenith - marginal
The zenith sky is noticeably bright. Only the brighter members of each constellation are visible.
-
40 km SSE
- Direction
- SSE
- Distance (km)
- 39.9
- SQM
- 20.19
- Bortle
- 6
-
98 km WNW
- Direction
- WNW
- Distance (km)
- 97.5
- SQM
- 20.53
- Bortle
- 5
-
236 km E
- Direction
- E
- Distance (km)
- 236.1
- SQM
- 20.87
- Bortle
- 4