North Las Vegas Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near North Las Vegas
- City
- North Las Vegas
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 36.1989
- Longitude
- -115.1175
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.41
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 18%
- Dataset
- April 2026
Inner city sky
North Las Vegas: The Practical Verdict
North Las Vegas is a severe urban sky for astronomy. The useful observing list is narrow: Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events.
The Milky Way is not visible from this sky, and most constellations are reduced to their brightest marker stars. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from the location itself.
For deep-sky observing or broadband imaging, the priority is to leave the local light dome. The closest meaningful escape is Lincoln County, Nevada, about 253 km east south east, reaching Bortle 3.
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
- Lincoln County, Nevada sits about 253 km east south east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 50x darker.
- Good dark window
- North Las Vegas'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 North Las Vegas?
No. North Las Vegas is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.41, 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 North Las Vegas?
North Las Vegas is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.41), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is North Las Vegas good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. North Las Vegas is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is North Las Vegas good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from North Las Vegas and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from North Las Vegas without careful processing.
What can you observe from North Las Vegas?
Primary targets from North Las Vegas 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 North Las Vegas?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Clark County, Nevada, about 78 km north east of North Las Vegas, reaching Bortle 5.
When is the sky darkest in North Las Vegas?
The sky over North Las Vegas is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in North Las Vegas getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over North Las Vegas has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - fair
The north horizon shows a slight brightening. Workable for most targets above about 10 degrees elevation.
north-north-east - fair
The north-north-east horizon shows a slight brightening. Workable for most targets above about 10 degrees elevation.
north-east - fair
Mild brightening on the north-east horizon. Faint stars at the very lowest elevation are dimmed; otherwise unaffected.
east-north-east - fair
A small artificial brightening near the east-north-east horizon. Star counts in this direction remain high above the lowest elevations.
east - fair
The east horizon is mostly dark with a hint of light pollution. Faint stars are accessible above about 10 degrees.
east-south-east - fair
Subtle skyglow on the east-south-east horizon. Faint stars below about 10 degrees here are slightly suppressed.
south-east - marginal
A soft but obvious glow marks the south-east horizon. The lowest 15-20 degrees of sky in this direction are degraded.
south-south-east - poor
Bright skyglow dominates the lower south-south-east sky. This direction is not suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south - poor
A bright dome of skyglow sits on the south horizon. Faint stars are suppressed up to roughly 25 degrees elevation.
south-south-west - poor
The south-south-west horizon is bright with artificial light. Only stars brighter than magnitude 3 are visible at low elevation.
south-west - poor
The south-west horizon is bright with artificial light. Only stars brighter than magnitude 3 are visible at low elevation.
west-south-west - poor
Strong artificial brightening to the west-south-west. Faint and mid-brightness stars near the horizon are absent.
west - poor
Bright skyglow dominates the lower west sky. This direction is not suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
west-north-west - marginal
The west-north-west horizon is brighter than natural. Faint stars are suppressed up to roughly 15-20 degrees elevation.
north-west - marginal
Moderate brightening on the north-west horizon. Star counts at low elevation here are reduced.
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.
-
Clark County, Nevada
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 77.6
- SQM
- 20.51
- Bortle
- 5
-
Lincoln County, Nevada
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 253.2
- SQM
- 21.66
- Bortle
- 3
-
Waucoba Saline Road, California
- Direction
- WNW
- Distance (km)
- 271.2
- SQM
- 21.27
- Bortle
- 4