Star Hunt Survey

Where's the best place in Australia to see the stars? Zoom in to your state to find your entry and compare it with everyone else. The darker the pin, the more stars you can see!

Where's the best place in Australia to see the stars?

Thank you to everyone who joined the 2009 Big Aussie Star Hunt. Despite some very dodgy weather in the southern states, winter burn-offs, and a quarter moon smack in the middle of Scorpius in the second week, you sent in over a thousand observations from right across Australia.

So where's the best place to see the stars?

Places that have the darkest pin (7) on the Big Aussie Star Hunt show the best places to view the night sky. These areas have a magnitude rating of 6.5, which is the best view of the sky with the naked eye. The lightest pin (1) shows the areas you nominated that have severe light pollution (magnitude 1).

City v country

The best observations ranging between magnitude 6.5 (perfect dark-sky conditions) and 6, were consistently recorded in remote regions of NSW, Queensland, SA, Tasmania and most of WA that were far away from any sources of light.

"15 km from Tilpa, no light sources nearby" - Team Arallak magnitude  6.5

"There is minor impact from mine sites to the north. Otherwise it is entirely in the middle of nowhere" - Skipper (Newman WA) Magnitude 6.5

Most  regional centres around Australia reported magnitude 5 skies (low light pollution). Factors such as smoke and dust particles or sky glow from nearby towns cut visibility down in some rural areas to between magnitude 4 (moderate light pollution) and magnitude 5.

"This is sparsely-populated farmland and bush. The small town of Stanthorpe is about 15 km away and a light-haze from that can be seen over the horizon. The larger town of Warwick is about 50 km away" - Graham Storrs Pozieres Qld Magnitude 5

"This site is just north of the Tenterfield township.  Lights from the highway combined with smoke haze from the annual burn-offs contributed to an obscured view of the southern skies.  (only 4 stars visible in the Southern Cross)." - Cuthbert Rumbold (Tenterfield, NSW) magnitude 5  

The larger capital cities - Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane - average magnitude 4  or 3 (moderate - severe light pollution) in the inner suburbs, with magnitude 5 (mild light pollution) on the outer edges.

Surprisingly Brisbane received a number of magnitude 2 and 1 (severe light pollution) observations.

The other capital cities averaged between magnitude 4 and 5.

New South Wales

"Light from Harbour Bridge and Bangaroo as well as street lights" - Arky Boy Balmain NSW Magnitude 4   

The majority of observations in Sydney were around magnitude 4 - the further from the coast, the darker the skies. The best suburbs were in the northwest (Hornsby, Rouse Hill), with the worst in the southern suburbs of Kogorah and Hurstville.

On average, observations throughout regional NSW were of magnitude 5. Newcastle had worse light pollution than other centres, averaging magnitude 4. Magnitude 6.5 was recorded in National Parks north of Lismore, and in relatively short distances from towns such as Walcha, Armidale and Cobar.

Victoria

"Floodlights were on at soccer pitch, it was difficult to get totally adjusted to the dark" - 1st Ashburton Scouts (Ashburton, Vic) Magnitude 3

Observations in Melbourne follow an elongated bullseye pattern beginning with magnitude 2 in the CBD, magnitude 3 along the southeast corridor from the city through to Vermont, surrounded by magnitude 4 and then magnitude 5.

Queensland

"Stadium lights 200m away, some street lights" - BoringHam (Ingham, Qld)  Magnitude 4"

Observations close to the CBD near Ashgrove, Ascot and Coorparoo were quite low with magnitude 2 and 3 being recorded. Outer suburbs were predominantly magnitude 4. The Gold Coast had a number of magnitude 4 and 5 observations.

The Gold Coast hinterland had excellent results with a number of magnitude 6 and 7 observations.

Regional centres such as Cairns, Bundaberg, Townsville and Rockhampton throughout Queensland had observations of 5 in the suburbs, with 6 not far out - the later two not receiving any magnitude 6.5.

South Australia

"Rural area, no street lights, glow to the NW from reflection of Adelaide metropolitan area (70kms) on cloud" - Rusty nomad Strathalbyn  Magnitude 4.

The majority of observations in Adelaide were magnitude 4, with magnitude 5 in the southern suburbs and the northern satellite town of Gawler.

In the regional and rural areas, magnitude 5 was recorded in towns and 6.5 in isolated areas.

Western Australia

"Very little light pollution - seems like slight dust haze again making it hard to identify all the 5 faint stars in anchor" - The Porter Gang (outside Meekatharra WA) Magnitude 6

Observations in the suburbs surrounding Perth and Fremantle were of magnitude 4, with magnitude 5 and 6 in Kallaroo and Noranda.

Most observations throughout the state were of magnitude 6.5, however bad weather during the first week of the Starhunt hampered visibility in many areas resulting in magnitude 4 and 5 observations. The city of Geraldton received a number of observations of magnitude 5.

Tasmania

"There are really bright lights from the snug village and from the street lights." - Pop Fizz (Snug,Tas) Magnitude 5

Near the Hobart CBD, observations were of magnitude 4, but this increased to 5 only a few kilometres away, extending south to Kingston. Launceston appeared to have more light pollution with magnitude 5 observations further from the CBD. Observations outside these two cities were of magnitude 6 and 6.5.

Northern Territory

"No great light sources.  Very clear skies but still can't get past # 4.Maybe due to burning off and dust particles and only just dark here" -  Katherine Magnitude 4

Only four observations, with a magnitude 4 recorded close to Humpty Doo and the centre of Katherine, while magnitude 6 on the skirts of Darwin and out of Katherine.
 

The rest of the world

Australia's levels of light pollution may not be as bad as many places in the rest of the world but, if the Big Aussie Star Hunt map is correct, many Australians can't see the Milky Way, which disappears from sight somewhere between magnitude 4 and 5.

See how Australia compares to the rest of the world. Check out the global satellite maps in the World Atlas of Artifical Night Sky Brightness from the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute in Italy. People living in areas coloured yellow, orange, red or violet on the satellite map indicate areas with magnitudes 4 or below. People living in these areas can't see the Milky Way. 

Star Hunt competition winners

Congratulations to the winners of the Big Aussie Star Hunt: Madison Hunt from Tasmania and the Collins Creek Public School from NSW.

Check out our competition page to read their entries.