Athens, AL's night sky, measured from orbit

Athens reads as suburban on this dataset's scale. Light dome dominates much of the sky. Only the brightest stars and planets stand out clearly. Athens's sky is brighter than 51.8% of the 3,206 cities in this dataset.

Note the source: a satellite reading of upward light, not a visual Bortle scale reading. The two measure related but different things.

Where to go for a darker sky near Athens

Madison, AL, about 12 miles away as the crow flies, measures in the suburban edge band, one step darker than Athens. Actual driving distance will run longer than that straight-line figure.

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

How Athens compares nationally

Athens, AL counts roughly 32,587 residents, among the 3,206 US cities this site tracks. Athens places 1,651 of 3,206 cities in this dataset's darkest-to-brightest order.