Quito Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

19.03

Bortle class

Class 7 (Class 7)

Darkness Quotient

33%

Dataset

May 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Quito: The Practical Verdict

Quito is a major city located in Quito Canton, Ecuador, and is characterised by dense urban environments. The overall stargazing environment here suffers from high light pollution, making it a poor urban/suburban sky. This limits astronomical opportunities significantly, particularly for deep-sky observations.

The night sky's best offerings are the Moon, planets, and brighter open clusters. Narrowband imaging can work with careful processing, but the highly light-polluted sky obscures the Milky Way entirely. Visual deep-sky observing and faint target photography are unrewarding pursuits in these conditions.

For those seeking a genuine improvement in sky quality, a notable upgrade is found at Telembi, Esmeraldas, located about 100 km north north west of Quito. This Bortle 3 site offers meaningfully darker skies suitable for serious deep-sky observing.

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

Telembi, Esmeraldas sits about 101 km north north west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 8.2x 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 Chigüilpe, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, about 90 km west of Quito, reaching Bortle 4.

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?

Long-term light pollution over Quito has been broadly stable across the available measurements.

• Chigüilpe, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  90

  SQM

  21.11

  Bortle

  4

• Telembi, Esmeraldas

  Direction

  NNW

  Distance (km)

  101.1

  SQM

  21.32

  Bortle

  3

• La Floresta, Esmeraldas

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  115.5

  SQM

  20.99

  Bortle

  4

• La Mayita, Manabí

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  134.1

  SQM

  20.98

  Bortle

  4