Colorado Springs Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.45

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

27%

Dataset

May 2026

City sky

Colorado Springs: The Practical Verdict

Colorado Springs, situated in Colorado, is a mid-sized city with a densely urban setting. The overall quality of the night sky here is poor, consistent with high light pollution, making it difficult for amateurs and enthusiasts to observe much beyond the brightest stars. The primary challenge is the overwhelming glow from the heavily developed local environment which blurs the details and washes out fainter astronomical objects.

From Colorado Springs, the Moon, planets, and bright stars are your best bets, given the city's brightness. Double stars and major solar system events can also be observed, though the Milky Way is entirely absent from view due to the urban sky. For those keen on imaging, care is needed as only narrowband imaging can reduce some of the lighting issues present here.

For a substantial improvement, consider heading towards Rio Arriba County in New Mexico, about a 270 km drive to the south-south-west. This location offers a significantly darker sky under Bortle 3 conditions, providing a much better opportunity for deep-sky observations.

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

Rio Arriba County, New Mexico sits about 269 km south south west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 16x 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 18.45, 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 18.45), 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 Colorado Springs, Colorado, about 10 km north west 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?

Long-term light pollution over Colorado Springs has been broadly stable across the available measurements.

• Colorado Springs, Colorado

  Direction

  NW

  Distance (km)

  10.2

  SQM

  19.75

  Bortle

  6

• 6037, Colorado

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  65.2

  SQM

  19.93

  Bortle

  6

• Rio Arriba County, New Mexico

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  269.4

  SQM

  21.48

  Bortle

  3