Guayaquil Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Guayaquil

City
Guayaquil
Country
Ecuador
Latitude
-2.1700
Longitude
-79.9224

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
17.67
Bortle class
Class 9 (Class 9)
Darkness Quotient
20%
Dataset
August 2026

Inner city sky

Guayaquil: The Practical Verdict

Guayaquil, the major city in Ecuador's Guayas region, is heavily influenced by extreme light pollution. Unfortunately, the current sky quality severely limits astronomical observation, offering an inner-city sky where the Milky Way is entirely absent. The primary constraint is the light that restricts all but the brightest celestial bodies from view.

Under these conditions, your best options include observing the Moon and the planets, along with double stars and brighter open clusters through telescopes. More challenging targets like faint nebulae and galaxies should be avoided as they are scarcely visible from such a location. Narrowband imaging can still proceed with care, focusing on bright nebulae.

For a worthwhile viewing experience, consider a trip to Puná in Guayas, about 70 km to the south south west. This location offers a significantly darker sky, presenting an opportunity for serious deep-sky observing.

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
Puná, Guayas sits about 68 km south south west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 19x darker.
Good dark window
Guayaquil 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 Guayaquil?

No. Guayaquil 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 Guayaquil?

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

Is Guayaquil good for stargazing?

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

Is Guayaquil good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Guayaquil?

Primary targets from Guayaquil 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 Guayaquil?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Chanduy, Santa Elena Province, about 60 km west south west of Guayaquil, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Guayaquil?

The sky over Guayaquil is darkest around April, September.

Is light pollution in Guayaquil getting better or worse?

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

north - marginal

Noticeable glow on the north horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.

north-north-east - marginal

A diffuse glow sits on the north-north-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.

north-east - marginal

A diffuse glow sits on the north-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.

east-north-east - fair

A faint diffuse glow on the east-north-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.

east - marginal

The east sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.

east-south-east - marginal

Soft skyglow visible on the east-south-east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.

south-east - fair

Faint glow on the south-east horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.

south-south-east - marginal

Soft skyglow visible on the south-south-east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.

south - fair

A trace of skyglow near the south horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

south-south-west - fair

The south-south-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.

south-west - fair

A trace of skyglow near the south-west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

west-south-west - fair

Light glow detectable on the west-south-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.

west - fair

Light glow detectable on the west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.

west-north-west - fair

A trace of skyglow near the west-north-west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

north-west - fair

A faint diffuse glow on the north-west horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.

north-north-west - marginal

The north-north-west sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.

zenith - poor

The zenith sky is bright. The Milky Way is absent and most constellation stars are not visible.

  • Puná, Guayas
    Direction
    SSW
    Distance (km)
    68.1
    SQM
    20.87
    Bortle
    4
  • Chanduy, Santa Elena Province
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    60.2
    SQM
    20.28
    Bortle
    6
  • El AjĂ­, Guayas
    Direction
    ESE
    Distance (km)
    72.5
    SQM
    20.61
    Bortle
    5
  • Cascol, ManabĂ­
    Direction
    NW
    Distance (km)
    80
    SQM
    20.44
    Bortle
    5
  • San Jacinto, ManabĂ­
    Direction
    SSE
    Distance (km)
    158.2
    SQM
    20.90
    Bortle
    4