Reno Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

17.66

Bortle class

Class 9 (Class 9)

Darkness Quotient

20%

Dataset

April 2026

Inner city sky

Reno: The Practical Verdict

Reno, Nevada, is a mid-sized city with substantial urban light pollution severely impacting its night sky quality. The overall sky brightness classifies as a Bortle 9 inner-city sky, resulting in a severely limited environment for astronomy from within the city itself.

The Milky Way is entirely obscured here, but brighter celestial objects like the Moon, planets, and prominent stars remain observable. For modest amateur imaging, narrowband filters might aid in framing the brightest nebulae, though care is needed to manage gradients. Deep-sky visual observing and broadband imaging are not practical due to intense sky-glow.

For those seeking a marked improvement, Round Mountain to the east-south-east offers a significantly darker Bortle 2 sky. While requiring a longer drive, it provides the quality necessary for serious deep-space 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

Round Mountain, Nevada sits about 253 km east south east and reaches Bortle 2, roughly 42x darker.

Good dark window

Reno'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 Reno?

No. Reno is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.66, 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 Reno?

Reno is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.66), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Reno good for stargazing?

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

Is Reno good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Reno and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Reno without careful processing.

What can you observe from Reno?

Primary targets from Reno 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 Reno?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Big Valley Bluff Road, California, about 73 km west south west of Reno, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Reno?

The sky over Reno is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Reno getting better or worse?

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

• Big Valley Bluff Road, California

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  72.8

  SQM

  20.56

  Bortle

  5

• NF 17E02B (MC2CT), California

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  120.5

  SQM

  20.96

  Bortle

  4

• Dairyville, California

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  214.3

  SQM

  21.29

  Bortle

  4

• 3127, California

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  199.3

  SQM

  20.87

  Bortle

  4

• Round Mountain, Nevada

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  252.5

  SQM

  21.72

  Bortle

  2

• Humboldt County, Nevada

  Direction

  NNE

  Distance (km)

  264.9

  SQM

  21.68

  Bortle

  3