Laredo Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Laredo
- City
- Laredo
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 27.5306
- Longitude
- -99.4803
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec虏)
- 17.81
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 21%
- Dataset
- May 2026
Inner city sky
Laredo: The Practical Verdict
Laredo, situated in the state of Texas, presents a classical case of a mid-size city with high light pollution. Stargazing quality is hampered significantly by a severe urban sky, meaning deep-sky objects and the Milky Way remain elusive. The sky鈥檚 brightness primarily limits visual deep-sky observing.
For observers in Laredo, the best targets include the Moon, planets, and bright stars. Double stars and solar system events can also be enjoyed here, but the Milky Way and faint nebulae are out of reach. Narrowband imaging might prove somewhat effective, although broadband targets suffer greatly from the city's light pollution.
For those seeking a more rewarding celestial experience, An谩huac, Nuevo Le贸n to the south-west offers noticeably darker conditions. This site is approximately 75 km away, and the improved conditions are well worth the drive for dedicated astronomers.
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
- An谩huac, Nuevo Le贸n sits about 73 km south west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 20x darker.
- Good dark window
- Laredo'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 Laredo?
No. Laredo is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.81, 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 Laredo?
Laredo is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.81), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is Laredo good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Laredo is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Laredo good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Laredo and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Laredo without careful processing.
What can you observe from Laredo?
Primary targets from Laredo 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 Laredo?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is An谩huac, Nuevo Le贸n, about 73 km south west of Laredo, reaching Bortle 4.
When is the sky darkest in Laredo?
The sky over Laredo is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Laredo getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Laredo has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - marginal
The lower north sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.
north-north-east - fair
The north-north-east horizon shows a slight brightening. Workable for most targets above about 10 degrees elevation.
north-east - good
The north-east sky shows no obvious glow at ground level. Faint stars are clear at low elevation.
east-north-east - good
No visible glow on the east-north-east horizon. Stars are clear down to low elevation in this direction.
east - good
Clean horizon to the east. Star counts remain high near the ground.
east-south-east - good
The east-south-east sky shows no obvious glow at ground level. Faint stars are clear at low elevation.
south-east - good
Clean horizon to the south-east. Star counts remain high near the ground.
south-south-east - fair
A small artificial brightening near the south-south-east horizon. Star counts in this direction remain high above the lowest elevations.
south - fair
Subtle skyglow on the south horizon. Faint stars below about 10 degrees here are slightly suppressed.
south-south-west - marginal
The south-south-west horizon is brighter than natural. Faint stars are suppressed up to roughly 15-20 degrees elevation.
south-west - marginal
Moderate brightening on the south-west horizon. Star counts at low elevation here are reduced.
west-south-west - marginal
A soft but obvious glow marks the west-south-west horizon. The lowest 15-20 degrees of sky in this direction are degraded.
west - fair
Subtle skyglow on the west horizon. Faint stars below about 10 degrees here are slightly suppressed.
west-north-west - fair
The west-north-west horizon is mostly dark with a hint of light pollution. Faint stars are accessible above about 10 degrees.
north-west - fair
A small artificial brightening near the north-west horizon. Star counts in this direction remain high above the lowest elevations.
north-north-west - marginal
The lower north-north-west sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.
zenith - poor
Heavy artificial brightening overhead. Limit visual work to bright stars, planets, and the Moon.
-
An谩huac, Nuevo Le贸n
- Direction
- SW
- Distance (km)
- 73.2
- SQM
- 21.08
- Bortle
- 4
-
La Salle County, Texas
- Direction
- NNE
- Distance (km)
- 80.8
- SQM
- 20.76
- Bortle
- 5
-
Buena Vista Road, Texas
- Direction
- NNW
- Distance (km)
- 80.4
- SQM
- 20.51
- Bortle
- 5
-
Duval County, Texas
- Direction
- E
- Distance (km)
- 118.4
- SQM
- 20.94
- Bortle
- 4
-
County Road 311, Texas
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 173.6
- SQM
- 20.56
- Bortle
- 5