How dark is the sky in Bessemer, AL?

Satellite radiance puts Bessemer 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. Bessemer's sky is brighter than 19.9% of the 3,206 cities in this dataset.

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.

The nearest darker sky to Bessemer

The closest place in this dataset with a meaningfully darker sky is Hueytown, AL, roughly 4 miles away in a straight line, rated dark sky. Road distance will be more.

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

Bessemer against the rest of the dataset

About 25,079 people live in Bessemer, AL, sized enough to appear in this dataset of 3,206 incorporated US cities. Among all 3,206 cities here, Bessemer ranks 634 from darkest to brightest, 1 being the darkest measured.