Phoenix Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Phoenix
- City
- Phoenix
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 33.4484
- Longitude
- -112.0740
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.27
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 18%
- Dataset
- May 2026
Inner city sky
Phoenix: The Practical Verdict
Phoenix, a major urban centre in Arizona, suffers from extreme light pollution, categorised as a severe urban sky. Stargazing quality here is quite poor, with the Milky Way completely absent. The primary limiting factor is the intense light pollution which heavily impacts the area.
Observationally, the Moon, planets, bright stars, and double stars remain visible, but deep-sky targets are largely out of reach. Narrowband imaging is possible with care, aimed at the brightest nebulae. Avoid attempting visual deep-sky observing or broadband galaxy hunting.
For a meaningful improvement in sky quality, heading to Apache County, about 290 km east-north-east, offers significantly darker skies. A Bortle-class 3 sky awaits, making it well worth the drive for those interested in serious deep-sky observation.
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
- Apache County, Arizona sits about 289 km east north east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 48x darker.
- Good dark window
- Phoenix'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 Phoenix?
No. Phoenix is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.27, 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 Phoenix?
Phoenix is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.27), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is Phoenix good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Phoenix is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Phoenix good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Phoenix and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Phoenix without careful processing.
What can you observe from Phoenix?
Primary targets from Phoenix 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 Phoenix?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Pinal County, Arizona, about 97 km south east of Phoenix, reaching Bortle 6.
When is the sky darkest in Phoenix?
The sky over Phoenix is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Phoenix getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Phoenix has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - marginal
A soft but obvious glow marks the north horizon. The lowest 15-20 degrees of sky in this direction are degraded.
north-north-east - marginal
Moderate brightening on the north-north-east horizon. Star counts at low elevation here are reduced.
north-east - marginal
The lower north-east sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.
east-north-east - poor
Bright skyglow dominates the lower east-north-east sky. This direction is not suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
east - poor
A bright dome of skyglow sits on the east horizon. Faint stars are suppressed up to roughly 25 degrees elevation.
east-south-east - poor
Significant glow on the east-south-east horizon. Avoid this direction for objects below 30 degrees elevation.
south-east - poor
Bright skyglow dominates the lower south-east sky. This direction is not suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south-south-east - marginal
The lower south-south-east sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.
south - fair
The south horizon shows a slight brightening. Workable for most targets above about 10 degrees elevation.
south-south-west - fair
Subtle skyglow on the south-south-west horizon. Faint stars below about 10 degrees here are slightly suppressed.
south-west - marginal
The south-west horizon is brighter than natural. Faint stars are suppressed up to roughly 15-20 degrees elevation.
west-south-west - marginal
Persistent skyglow on the west-south-west horizon. Faint stars near the ground in this direction are lost.
west - poor
Significant glow on the west horizon. Avoid this direction for objects below 30 degrees elevation.
west-north-west - poor
The west-north-west horizon is bright with artificial light. Only stars brighter than magnitude 3 are visible at low elevation.
north-west - poor
Significant glow on the north-west horizon. Avoid this direction for objects below 30 degrees elevation.
north-north-west - poor
Strong artificial brightening to the north-north-west. Faint and mid-brightness stars near the horizon are absent.
zenith - poor
Heavy artificial brightening overhead. Limit visual work to bright stars, planets, and the Moon.
-
Pinal County, Arizona
- Direction
- SE
- Distance (km)
- 96.5
- SQM
- 20.10
- Bortle
- 6
-
Altar, Sonora
- Direction
- S
- Distance (km)
- 253.3
- SQM
- 21.22
- Bortle
- 4
-
San Luis RĂo Colorado, Sonora
- Direction
- WSW
- Distance (km)
- 263.3
- SQM
- 21.02
- Bortle
- 4
-
Apache County, Arizona
- Direction
- ENE
- Distance (km)
- 288.7
- SQM
- 21.48
- Bortle
- 3