McAllen Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near McAllen
- City
- McAllen
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 26.2034
- Longitude
- -98.2300
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.74
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 21%
- Dataset
- April 2026
Inner city sky
McAllen: The Practical Verdict
McAllen, a small city in southern Texas, exhibits a sky severely affected by urban light pollution. With high light pollution characteristics, the night sky here ranks among the poorest for stargazing in the region.
Observing in McAllen reveals a very limited sky. The Moon, visible planets, and a few bright stars are the primary options. The Milky Way remains entirely unseen here, while faint nebulae and most deep-space objects are realistically beyond reach under these conditions.
For those seeking notably darker skies, Kenedy County, to the north-east, offers conditions under Bortle 3 skies, a significant improvement over McAllen's urban environment.
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
- Kenedy County, Texas sits about 110 km north east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 37x darker.
- Good dark window
- McAllen'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 McAllen?
No. McAllen 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 McAllen?
McAllen is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.74), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is McAllen good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. McAllen is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is McAllen good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from McAllen and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from McAllen without careful processing.
What can you observe from McAllen?
Primary targets from McAllen 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 McAllen?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Todd Colonia Number 3, Texas, about 28 km east south east of McAllen, reaching Bortle 7.
When is the sky darkest in McAllen?
The sky over McAllen is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in McAllen getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over McAllen has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - fair
A trace of skyglow near the north horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
north-north-east - marginal
The north-north-east sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
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 - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the east-north-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
east - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
east-south-east - fair
Faint glow on the east-south-east horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
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 - fair
The south-south-east sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
south - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the south horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
south-south-west - poor
The lower south-south-west sky is heavily light-polluted. Only the brightest stars stand out near the horizon.
south-west - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the south-west horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
west-south-west - fair
A trace of skyglow near the west-south-west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
west - fair
The west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
west-north-west - marginal
The west-north-west sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
north-west - marginal
The north-west sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
north-north-west - fair
Light glow detectable on the north-north-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
zenith - poor
The overhead sky is conspicuously pale. Stars brighter than magnitude 3 are visible; fainter ones are lost.
-
Todd Colonia Number 3, Texas
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 27.5
- SQM
- 19.39
- Bortle
- 7
-
Raymondville, Texas
- Direction
- ENE
- Distance (km)
- 65.6
- SQM
- 20.41
- Bortle
- 5
-
Kenedy County, Texas
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 110
- SQM
- 21.67
- Bortle
- 3
-
Kenedy County, Texas
- Direction
- NNE
- Distance (km)
- 105.7
- SQM
- 20.97
- Bortle
- 4
-
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
- Direction
- SE
- Distance (km)
- 95.3
- SQM
- 20.45
- Bortle
- 5
-
Hacienda San Fernando, Tamaulipas
- Direction
- SSE
- Distance (km)
- 156.6
- SQM
- 21.13
- Bortle
- 4