Orange Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

19.37

Bortle class

Class 7 (Class 7)

Darkness Quotient

38%

Dataset

April 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Orange: The Practical Verdict

Orange, located in New South Wales, offers stargazing conditions typical of a small city transitioning into suburban areas. The overall sky quality is hindered by high light pollution, with the Milky Way completely absent to the human eye.

From here, bright celestial targets such as the Moon, planets, double stars, and open clusters remain visible, while deep-sky observing is severely limited. Narrowband imaging for specific nebulae might still yield results with careful processing. The southern horizon emits slightly more artificial light, but the overall sky distribution is evenly bright.

For those seeking improved conditions, Parilament Creek Road to the south-east provides significantly darker skies under Bortle 3 conditions, roughly a two-hour drive away. This upgrade makes it worthwhile for deeper astronomical pursuits.

At a Glance

Overall

Poor urban/suburban sky - This is a poor sky for astronomy. The Moon, planets, and a few bright objects remain viable, but deep-sky work is difficult.

Milky Way

Not visible - The Milky Way is not realistically visible from this level of light pollution.

Best targets from here

Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing

Do not prioritise

visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, Milky Way photography

Best nearby upgrade

Parilament Creek Road, New South Wales sits about 120 km south east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 7.4x darker.

Good dark window

Orange'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 Orange?

No. Orange is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.37, 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 Orange?

Orange is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.37), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Orange good for stargazing?

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

Is Orange good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Orange?

Primary targets from Orange include Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Orange?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Bowenfels, New South Wales, about 94 km east south east of Orange, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Orange?

The sky over Orange is darkest around June, July.

Is light pollution in Orange getting better or worse?

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

• Parilament Creek Road, New South Wales

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  120.3

  SQM

  21.55

  Bortle

  3

• Putty, New South Wales

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  143.2

  SQM

  21.51

  Bortle

  3

• Bowenfels, New South Wales

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  94.4

  SQM

  20.60

  Bortle

  5