Curitiba Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

17.67

Bortle class

Class 9 (Class 9)

Darkness Quotient

20%

Dataset

August 2026

Inner city sky

Curitiba: The Practical Verdict

Curitiba is a major urban centre in Brazil with significant light pollution affecting its skies. The astronomy quality here is categorically a severe urban sky, with extreme light pollution making stargazing quite challenging. The predominant limiting factor is the city’s intense light dome, particularly bright towards the south-south-west.

In these conditions, the Milky Way is not visible. The most accessible astronomical targets are the Moon, planets, bright stars, and double stars, with narrowband imaging possible with care. Visual deep-sky observing and widefield Milky Way photography are not practical due to the urban sky glow.

For those seeking a meaningful improvement in sky quality, heading east about 95 km can provide Bortle Class 4 conditions, which are significantly darker and more suitable for serious deep-sky work.

At a Glance

Overall

Severe urban sky - This is a severely light-polluted urban sky. Only the Moon, planets, bright stars, and a few specialist targets remain practical.

Milky Way

Not visible - The Milky Way is not visible from this sky.

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

95 km E sits about 95 km east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 21x darker.

Good dark window

Curitiba's longest dark windows fall in June and July, with the shortest nights around December and January. For deep-sky imaging, winter gives the best combination of long nights and true astronomical darkness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Curitiba?

No. Curitiba is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.67, 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 Curitiba?

Curitiba is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.67), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Curitiba good for stargazing?

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

Is Curitiba good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Curitiba?

Primary targets from Curitiba 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 Curitiba?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is 58 km NW, about 58 km north west of Curitiba, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Curitiba?

The sky over Curitiba is darkest around June, July.

Is light pollution in Curitiba getting better or worse?

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

• 58 km NW

  Direction

  NW

  Distance (km)

  58

  SQM

  20.72

  Bortle

  5

• 58 km SE

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  58.2

  SQM

  20.17

  Bortle

  6

• 69 km S

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  69.3

  SQM

  20.16

  Bortle

  6

• 95 km E

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  94.9

  SQM

  20.97

  Bortle

  4

• 70 km ESE

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  69.8

  SQM

  19.85

  Bortle

  6

• 84 km SSE

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  84.3

  SQM

  19.98

  Bortle

  6