Colorado Springs Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.51

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

28%

Dataset

July 2026

City sky

Colorado Springs: The Practical Verdict

Colorado Springs, a mid-sized city in Colorado, is characterised by an urban-dense setting that significantly challenges stargazing. The overall verdict is a "Poor city sky," dominated by high light pollution. Unfortunately, the Milky Way is not visible under these conditions.

The night sky delivers only limited observable targets due to the urban brightness. Observers can focus on the Moon, planets, bright stars, and double stars. Some solar system events can also be viewed, but visual deep-sky targets and meteors are best avoided. Imaging is feasible with narrowband filters, but broadband deep-sky targets are challenging.

For those seeking darker skies, Sharon Springs Township in Kansas, about 275 km east, presents a notable improvement with Bortle 3 conditions. This site offers significantly darker skies, enabling more extensive visual observations and astrophotography.

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

Sharon Springs Township, Kansas sits about 274 km east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 17x darker.

Good dark window

Colorado Springs'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 Colorado Springs?

No. Colorado Springs is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.51, 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 Colorado Springs?

Colorado Springs is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.51), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Colorado Springs good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Colorado Springs is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.

Is Colorado Springs good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Colorado Springs and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Colorado Springs without careful processing.

What can you observe from Colorado Springs?

Primary targets from Colorado Springs 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 Colorado Springs?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Pawnee Hills, Colorado, about 61 km south south east of Colorado Springs, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Colorado Springs?

The sky over Colorado Springs is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Colorado Springs getting better or worse?

There is not yet enough long-term data to give a confident trend for Colorado Springs.

• Pawnee Hills, Colorado

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  60.7

  SQM

  20.04

  Bortle

  6

• Archuleta County, Colorado

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  265.3

  SQM

  21.54

  Bortle

  3

• Sharon Springs Township, Kansas

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  274.2

  SQM

  21.60

  Bortle

  3