Laredo Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

17.74

Bortle class

Class 9 (Class 9)

Darkness Quotient

21%

Dataset

April 2026

Inner city sky

Laredo: The Practical Verdict

Laredo, a mid-size city in southern Texas, presents challenging conditions for stargazing. The light pollution in the area is significant, with skies ranked as Class 9 on the Bortle scale, indicating severe urban sky impacts. The Milky Way is entirely obscured, and only the brightest celestial objects are visible.

Observers will find the Moon, planets, and bright stars to be the most prominent sights here, with occasional opportunities for viewing bright double stars and solar system events. Deep-sky observing is largely impractical without specialised equipment due to the overwhelming sky brightness.

For those seeking darker skies, Brooks County to the east-south-east offers notable improvements with Bortle Class 4 conditions. It is beneficial for those prioritising deep sky objects or astrophotography under significantly reduced light pollution.

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

Brooks County, Texas sits about 127 km east south east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 18x 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 17.74, 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 17.74), 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 Webb County, Texas, about 63 km north north west of Laredo, reaching Bortle 6.

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?

There is not yet enough long-term data to give a confident trend for Laredo.

• La Salle County, Texas

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  77.5

  SQM

  20.62

  Bortle

  5

• Webb County, Texas

  Direction

  NNW

  Distance (km)

  63.2

  SQM

  20.07

  Bortle

  6

• Brooks County, Texas

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  126.7

  SQM

  20.89

  Bortle

  4

• Live Oak County, Texas

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  160.6

  SQM

  20.70

  Bortle

  5