Seattle Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Seattle

City
Seattle
Country
United States
Latitude
47.6062
Longitude
-122.3321

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
17.34
Bortle class
Class 9 (Class 9)
Darkness Quotient
18%
Dataset
April 2026

Inner city sky

Seattle: The Practical Verdict

Seattle is a major city in Washington, and its urban dense environment poses difficulties for astronomical observation. The sky quality is categorised as suffering from extreme light pollution (Bortle Class 9), making the Milky Way entirely invisible and limiting observation predominantly to brighter objects.

From this location, only the most luminous targets are feasible. The Moon and planets stand out, alongside bright stars and double stars. Narrowband imaging can yield some results with care, but broadband visual observing or deep-sky imaging are largely impractical due to the substantial sky brightness.

For a meaningful improvement, sites such as Forest Road 2294-500, Washington, about 100 km to the west-south-west, offer much darker skies (Bortle 4 conditions) and are worth pursuing for dedicated deep-sky observation.

At a Glance

Overall
Severe urban sky - This is a severely light-polluted urban sky. Only the Moon, planets, bright stars, and a few specialist targets remain practical.
Milky Way
Not visible - The Milky Way is not visible from this sky.
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
Forest Road 2294-500, Washington sits about 99 km west south west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 34x darker.
Moderate dark window
Seattle'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 Seattle?

No. Seattle is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.34, 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 Seattle?

Seattle is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.34), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Seattle good for stargazing?

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

Is Seattle good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Seattle?

Primary targets from Seattle 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 Seattle?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Lynwood Center, Washington, about 16 km west of Seattle, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Seattle?

The sky over Seattle is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Seattle getting better or worse?

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

north - marginal

Soft skyglow visible on the north horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.

north-north-east - fair

Light glow detectable on the north-north-east horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.

north-east - marginal

Noticeable glow on the north-east horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.

east-north-east - marginal

Noticeable glow on the east-north-east horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.

east - marginal

Soft skyglow visible on the east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.

east-south-east - fair

A faint diffuse glow on the east-south-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.

south-east - marginal

The south-east sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.

south-south-east - marginal

Soft skyglow visible on the south-south-east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.

south - marginal

A diffuse glow sits on the south horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.

south-south-west - fair

The south-south-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.

south-west - good

Dark horizon to the south-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.

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

The north-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.

north-north-west - fair

Faint glow on the north-north-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.

zenith - poor

The zenith sky is bright. The Milky Way is absent and most constellation stars are not visible.

  • Lynwood Center, Washington
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    16.1
    SQM
    19.98
    Bortle
    6
  • Indian Island, Washington
    Direction
    NNW
    Distance (km)
    52.3
    SQM
    20.69
    Bortle
    5
  • 846, Washington
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    64.7
    SQM
    20.25
    Bortle
    6
  • Forest Road 2294-500, Washington
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    98.5
    SQM
    21.17
    Bortle
    4
  • Clallam County, Washington
    Direction
    WNW
    Distance (km)
    106.9
    SQM
    20.81
    Bortle
    4
  • Fuller, Washington
    Direction
    SW
    Distance (km)
    110.4
    SQM
    20.92
    Bortle
    4