Quito Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Quito

City
Quito
Country
Ecuador
Latitude
-0.1807
Longitude
-78.4678

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
19.03
Bortle class
Class 7 (Class 7)
Darkness Quotient
33%
Dataset
July 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Quito: The Practical Verdict

Quito, situated high in the Andes of Ecuador, is a substantial capital city with a population around 3 million. The city experiences poor urban/suburban sky conditions, heavily impacted by high light pollution. This formidable level of luminosity means the Milky Way is not visible, so urban stargazing is quite limited.

Observing conditions in Quito favour brighter astronomical objects. The Moon and readily visible planets make good targets, along with bright double stars and open clusters. Narrowband imaging remains a feasible pursuit, albeit with careful processing. Attempts at visual deep-sky observing, such as reflection nebulae or broadband galaxies, will frustrate due to the sky glow.

For those seeking a more profound stargazing experience, there is a favourable site approximately 115 km to the north-north-west, offering Bortle Class 3 conditions. This location presents a significant upgrade for serious deep-sky visual observing or astrophotography.

At a Glance

Overall
Poor urban/suburban sky - This is a poor sky for astronomy. The Moon, planets, and a few bright objects remain viable, but deep-sky work is difficult.
Milky Way
Not visible - The Milky Way is not realistically visible from this level of light pollution.
Best targets from here
Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing
Do not prioritise
visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, Milky Way photography
Best nearby upgrade
113 km NNW sits about 113 km north north west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 8.9x darker.
Good dark window
Quito retains astronomical darkness throughout the year, so seasonality is less extreme than at higher latitudes. The main limitation is light pollution, not the length of the dark window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Quito?

No. Quito is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.03, 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 Quito?

Quito is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.03), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Quito good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Quito is a poor urban/suburban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.

Is Quito good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Quito and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Narrowband imaging of bright emission nebulae remains viable from Quito with appropriate Ha or OIII filters.

What can you observe from Quito?

Primary targets from Quito include Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Quito?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is 51 km WSW, about 51 km west south west of Quito, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Quito?

The sky over Quito is darkest around March, September.

Is light pollution in Quito getting better or worse?

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

north - fair

A faint diffuse glow on the north horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.

north-north-east - fair

A trace of skyglow near the north-north-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

north-east - fair

A faint diffuse glow on the north-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.

east-north-east - fair

A faint diffuse glow on the east-north-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.

east - fair

Light glow detectable on the east horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.

east-south-east - fair

A trace of skyglow near the east-south-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

south-east - good

The south-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.

south-south-east - fair

Faint glow on the south-south-east horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.

south - fair

Light glow detectable on the south horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.

south-south-west - fair

A trace of skyglow near the south-south-west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

south-west - fair

The south-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.

west-south-west - good

Dark sky in the west-south-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.

west - good

The west horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.

west-north-west - good

Dark horizon to the west-north-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.

north-west - good

Dark horizon to the north-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.

north-north-west - good

Dark sky in the north-north-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.

zenith - fair

Limiting magnitude at the zenith is around 4.5. Constellation outlines are clear; the faintest stars between them are absent.

  • 51 km WSW
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    50.6
    SQM
    20.71
    Bortle
    5
  • 58 km ESE
    Direction
    ESE
    Distance (km)
    58.2
    SQM
    20.62
    Bortle
    5
  • 113 km NNW
    Direction
    NNW
    Distance (km)
    113.3
    SQM
    21.40
    Bortle
    3
  • 96 km NW
    Direction
    NW
    Distance (km)
    95.6
    SQM
    20.83
    Bortle
    4
  • 133 km WNW
    Direction
    WNW
    Distance (km)
    132.5
    SQM
    21.27
    Bortle
    4
  • 135 km W
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    135
    SQM
    21.17
    Bortle
    4