Pasadena Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Pasadena
- City
- Pasadena
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 34.1478
- Longitude
- -118.1445
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.63
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 20%
- Dataset
- August 2026
Inner city sky
Pasadena: The Practical Verdict
Pasadena, a small city nestled in California, is situated within a suburban environment. Unfortunately, for astronomers, its sky is dominated by extreme light pollution, meaning celestial observation is severely limited. The overall sky quality is a severe urban condition, hindering the visibility of fainter objects.
From within Pasadena, stargazers are largely limited to observing the Moon, planets, bright stars, and conducting narrowband imaging with care. Whilst bright open clusters can occasionally be glimpsed, the dimmer deep-sky bodies like galaxies and nebulae are best avoided under this inner city sky, where the Milky Way is not visible.
For those seeking better stargazing opportunities, heading to China Canyon Road, roughly 150 km to the south, provides a marked improvement. With Bortle 3 conditions, it is a worthy destination 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
- China Canyon Road, California sits about 148 km south and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 41x darker.
- Good dark window
- Pasadena'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 Pasadena?
No. Pasadena is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.63, 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 Pasadena?
Pasadena is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.63), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is Pasadena good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Pasadena is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Pasadena good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Pasadena and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Pasadena without careful processing.
What can you observe from Pasadena?
Primary targets from Pasadena 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 Pasadena?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Mount Gleason Road, California, about 23 km south south west of Pasadena, reaching Bortle 7.
When is the sky darkest in Pasadena?
The sky over Pasadena is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Pasadena getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Pasadena has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - good
No noticeable light pollution to the north. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
north-north-east - good
The north-north-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
north-east - good
The north-east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
east-north-east - fair
A trace of skyglow near the east-north-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
east - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
east-south-east - poor
The east-south-east horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.
south-east - poor
The lower south-east sky is heavily light-polluted. Only the brightest stars stand out near the horizon.
south-south-east - poor
Strong skyglow on the south-south-east horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.
south - poor
The south horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.
south-south-west - poor
Heavy light pollution to the south-south-west. The lower 30 degrees of sky in this direction are unusable for faint targets.
south-west - poor
The south-west horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.
west-south-west - poor
Strong skyglow on the west-south-west horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.
west - marginal
The west sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
west-north-west - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the west-north-west horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
north-west - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the north-west horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
north-north-west - fair
The north-north-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
zenith - poor
The zenith sky background is high. Most faint stars are absent and the Milky Way cannot be seen.
-
Los Angeles County, California
- Direction
- ENE
- Distance (km)
- 28.5
- SQM
- 19.68
- Bortle
- 6
-
Mount Gleason Road, California
- Direction
- SSW
- Distance (km)
- 23.2
- SQM
- 18.99
- Bortle
- 7
-
Los Angeles County, California
- Direction
- NNE
- Distance (km)
- 63.6
- SQM
- 20.27
- Bortle
- 6
-
Middle Ranch, California
- Direction
- SSW
- Distance (km)
- 90.1
- SQM
- 20.89
- Bortle
- 4
-
China Canyon Road, California
- Direction
- S
- Distance (km)
- 147.5
- SQM
- 21.65
- Bortle
- 3
-
Christi Ranch, California
- Direction
- W
- Distance (km)
- 163.4
- SQM
- 21.62
- Bortle
- 3