Guadalajara Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.10

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

24%

Dataset

May 2026

City sky

Guadalajara: The Practical Verdict

Guadalajara, a global metropolis in Mexico, presents the challenges typical of an urban dense environment for stargazers. The overall sky quality is poor due to high light pollution, making this city a difficult place for observing fainter cosmic objects. The primary limiting factor here is the bright urban sky which completely erases the Milky Way.

In practice, from Guadalajara, you can expect to observe prominent celestial bodies such as the Moon, planets, and bright stars with relative ease. Double stars and some solar system events can also be viewed successfully. However, attempts to observe deep-sky objects, like wide-field Milky Way views or faint nebulae, are largely impractical due to the severe light pollution.

For those serious about deep-sky observing, Teocaltiche, Jalisco, offers a meaningful upgrade. Located roughly northeast of Guadalajara, this site provides significantly darker skies under a Bortle 4 classification, making it worth the drive for keen astronomers.

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

Teocaltiche, Jalisco sits about 113 km north east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 14x darker.

Good dark window

Guadalajara retains astronomical darkness throughout the year, so seasonality is less extreme than at higher latitudes. The main limitation is light pollution, not the length of the dark window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Guadalajara?

No. Guadalajara is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.10, 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 Guadalajara?

Guadalajara is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.10), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Guadalajara good for stargazing?

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

Is Guadalajara good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Guadalajara?

Primary targets from Guadalajara 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 Guadalajara?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is 49 km E, about 49 km east of Guadalajara, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Guadalajara?

The sky over Guadalajara is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Guadalajara getting better or worse?

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

• 49 km E

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  48.7

  SQM

  20.10

  Bortle

  6

• Teocaltiche, Jalisco

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  113.3

  SQM

  20.96

  Bortle

  4

• El Grullo, Jalisco

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  130.3

  SQM

  21.09

  Bortle

  4

• La Galinda, Nayarit

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  143.9

  SQM

  21.13

  Bortle

  4

• Tomatlán, Jalisco

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  151.8

  SQM

  21.26

  Bortle

  4

• 176 km S

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  176.3

  SQM

  21.15

  Bortle

  4