Stargazing in Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Dark-sky rating for Brisbane

Brisbane, QLD, Australia is a large metropolitan area (population about 2,600,000). A place this size typically has a bright inner-city sky: only the Moon, planets and the brightest stars show from inside the urban core. That is an estimate of Bortle class 7–9 from population, not a measurement: the real value depends on the exact spot you observe from.

For a measured reading at any point, open the live Dark Sky map.

Nearest dark-sky places and observatories

No certified dark-sky place or observatory in our registry lies within 150 km of Brisbane. Our list only includes genuine, publicly documented sites, so none is shown rather than guessed.

Milky Way season in Brisbane

The bright core of the Milky Way passes almost directly overhead. It climbs at least 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness in February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, peaking in April at about 87°.

• The south celestial pole stands 27.5° above the horizon, so stars within 28° of it never set from here.
• About 73.1% of the whole sky rises above the horizon at some point in the year from this latitude.
• The Milky Way's core in Sagittarius culminates about 88.5° up, passing almost directly overhead.
• The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are circumpolar here — visible on any clear, dark night of the year.
• At 27 m elevation, roughly 0% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Tonight and aurora

As of October 15, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a Waxing Crescent at 21% illumination. Aurora at 27.5° latitude generally needs about Kp 9.0.

Nearby places

• Logan City, Queensland, Australia
• Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
• Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
• Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
• Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
• Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia