Guatemala City Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.30

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

26%

Dataset

May 2026

City sky

Guatemala City: The Practical Verdict

Guatemala City, a major urban centre in Guatemala Department, experiences significant light pollution. The overall quality for stargazing is quite poor here. The high light pollution erases the Milky Way and obscures many celestial objects.

In this sky, the Moon, planets, and bright stars remain visible even with the urban glow. Solar system events and double stars are also viable targets. For those into narrowband imaging, some success can be achieved, but broadband galaxies and deep-sky observations are largely out of reach.

For those seeking darker skies, Santo Domingo Suchitepéquez to the west offers a meaningful improvement. It's around a two-hour drive and presents conditions suitable for deeper astronomical observation.

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

Santo Domingo Suchitepéquez, Suchitepéquez sits about 109 km west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 11x darker.

Good dark window

Guatemala City 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 Guatemala City?

No. Guatemala City is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.30, 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 Guatemala City?

Guatemala City is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.30), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Guatemala City good for stargazing?

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

Is Guatemala City good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Guatemala City?

Primary targets from Guatemala City 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 Guatemala City?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is San Pedro Sacatepéquez, Guatemala Department, about 10 km west of Guatemala City, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Guatemala City?

The sky over Guatemala City is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Guatemala City getting better or worse?

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

• San Pedro Sacatepéquez, Guatemala Department

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  10

  SQM

  19.74

  Bortle

  6

• Residenciales Nuevo Taxisco, Santa Rosa

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  61.3

  SQM

  20.43

  Bortle

  5

• El Barro, Jutiapa

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  81.3

  SQM

  20.82

  Bortle

  4

• La Democracia, Escuintla

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  72.3

  SQM

  20.22

  Bortle

  6

• Santo Domingo Suchitepéquez, Suchitepéquez

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  108.7

  SQM

  20.88

  Bortle

  4

• Huehuetenango

  Direction

  NW

  Distance (km)

  112.3

  SQM

  20.76

  Bortle

  5