How dark is the sky in Aberdeen, SD?

Satellite radiance puts Aberdeen in the suburban edge band. A noticeable glow near the horizon. Brighter stars and constellations are easy to pick out; the Milky Way is washed out. Only 35.9% of the 3,206 cities measured here read darker than Aberdeen.

Worth remembering: this is satellite radiance, not a ground observation. A true Bortle rating needs a human eye at night, this is the closest large-scale substitute.

How far Aberdeen is from a meaningfully darker sky

The closest place in this dataset with a meaningfully darker sky is Watertown, SD, roughly 75 miles away in a straight line, rated rural. Road distance will be more.

Watertown, SD is itself still a measured city, not a designated dark-sky park, this only compares against the 3,206 places this dataset covers.

Aberdeen against the rest of the dataset

About 27,919 people live in Aberdeen, SD, sized enough to appear in this dataset of 3,206 incorporated US cities. Among all 3,206 cities here, Aberdeen ranks 1,144 from darkest to brightest, 1 being the darkest measured.