Arvada Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Arvada
- City
- Arvada
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 39.8028
- Longitude
- -105.0875
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 18.81
- Bortle class
- Class 8 (Class 8)
- Darkness Quotient
- 31%
- Dataset
- July 2026
City sky
Arvada: The Practical Verdict
Arvada is a small city located in Colorado, with a suburban character. The stargazing conditions are dominated by high light pollution, offering a poor city sky overall. The primary limiting factor here is the intense light pollution, which entirely erases the Milky Way.
From Arvada, observers can focus on the brightest celestial objects such as the Moon, planets, and double stars. These targets tend to pierce the light-polluted sky to some degree, allowing for reasonable viewing. However, visual deep-sky observing and capturing faint nebulae are not viable due to the overwhelming sky brightness.
For dramatically darker skies, a trip westwards to 296G Road, Colorado, would provide a meaningful upgrade. Approximately 295 km away, this location offers a Bortle 3 sky that makes detailed deep-sky observation feasible.
At a Glance
- Overall
- Poor city sky - This is a poor city sky. The Milky Way is not visible and most deep-sky observing is unrealistic from the location itself.
- Milky Way
- Not visible - The Milky Way is erased by the bright urban sky background.
- Best targets from here
- Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events, narrowband imaging only with care
- Do not prioritise
- visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, widefield Milky Way
- Best nearby upgrade
- 296G Road, Colorado sits about 293 km west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 13x darker.
- Good dark window
- Arvada's longest dark windows fall in December and January, with the shortest nights around June and July. Plan deep-sky sessions around the autumn and winter months for the best combination of long nights and true astronomical darkness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see the Milky Way from Arvada?
No. Arvada is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.81, so the Milky Way is not visible from the city. For Milky Way photography, look for a Bortle 4 or darker site.
What Bortle class is Arvada?
Arvada is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.81), a poor city sky for astronomy.
Is Arvada good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Arvada is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Arvada good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Arvada and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Arvada without careful processing.
What can you observe from Arvada?
Primary targets from Arvada include Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.
Where are darker skies near Arvada?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Mose Davis Lakes Access Roads, Colorado, about 47 km north east of Arvada, reaching Bortle 6.
When is the sky darkest in Arvada?
The sky over Arvada is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Arvada getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Arvada has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - fair
Light glow detectable on the north horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
north-north-east - fair
Faint glow on the north-north-east horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
north-east - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the north-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
east-north-east - marginal
The east-north-east lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
east - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
east-south-east - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the east-south-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
south-east - marginal
Noticeable glow on the south-east horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
south-south-east - marginal
The south-south-east lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
south - fair
Faint glow on the south horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
south-south-west - fair
Faint glow on the south-south-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
south-west - fair
A trace of skyglow near the south-west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
west-south-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the west-south-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
west - good
Dark sky in the west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
west-north-west - good
Dark sky in the west-north-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
north-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the north-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
north-north-west - fair
A trace of skyglow near the north-north-west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
zenith - marginal
The zenith sky is noticeably bright. Only the brighter members of each constellation are visible.
-
Butler Gulch Trail, Colorado
- Direction
- W
- Distance (km)
- 66.1
- SQM
- 21.10
- Bortle
- 4
-
Mose Davis Lakes Access Roads, Colorado
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 46.9
- SQM
- 19.98
- Bortle
- 6
-
296G Road, Colorado
- Direction
- W
- Distance (km)
- 292.9
- SQM
- 21.63
- Bortle
- 3