Salvador Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Salvador
- City
- Salvador
- Country
- Brazil
- Latitude
- -12.9714
- Longitude
- -38.5014
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.99
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 23%
- Dataset
- August 2026
Inner city sky
Salvador: The Practical Verdict
Salvador, the capital of Bahia, is a major city with a dense urban environment. For astronomers, it has a severe urban sky with high light pollution, significantly limiting most observing. The primary impediment to stargazing here is the brightened sky, which makes deep-sky observations virtually impossible.
In the current conditions, the Milky Way is completely out of sight. Observers can focus on lunar, planetary, and solar system events, as well as bright stars and double stars. Narrowband imaging is possible, but only with caution. Broad visual or broadband deep-sky imaging will be greatly affected by sky glow and gradients.
For a meaningful upgrade, Piaçava in Bahia, located to the south-west, offers much better conditions around a two-hour drive from Salvador. This location is Bortle 3 and would substantially improve prospects for serious astronomical pursuits, especially for deep-sky targets.
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
- Piaçava, Bahia sits about 77 km south west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 26x darker.
- Good dark window
- Salvador 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 Salvador?
No. Salvador is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.99, 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 Salvador?
Salvador is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.99), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is Salvador good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Salvador is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Salvador good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Salvador and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Salvador without careful processing.
What can you observe from Salvador?
Primary targets from Salvador 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 Salvador?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Cachoeira, Bahia, about 47 km west north west of Salvador, reaching Bortle 5.
When is the sky darkest in Salvador?
The sky over Salvador is darkest around June, July.
Is light pollution in Salvador getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Salvador has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - fair
Light glow detectable on the north horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
north-north-east - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the north-north-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
north-east - marginal
The north-east lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
east-north-east - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the east-north-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
east - fair
Faint glow on the east horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
east-south-east - good
The east-south-east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
south-east - good
Dark sky in the south-east direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south-south-east - good
The south-south-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
south - good
The south horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
south-south-west - good
Dark sky in the south-south-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the south-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
west-south-west - good
The west-south-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
west - good
The west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
west-north-west - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the west-north-west horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
north-west - good
The north-west horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
north-north-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the north-north-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
zenith - poor
The overhead sky is washed out by artificial light. Constellation patterns are reduced to their brightest members.
-
Cachoeira, Bahia
- Direction
- WNW
- Distance (km)
- 46.9
- SQM
- 20.49
- Bortle
- 5
-
Piaçava, Bahia
- Direction
- SW
- Distance (km)
- 77.1
- SQM
- 21.52
- Bortle
- 3
-
São Gonçalo dos Campos, Bahia
- Direction
- NW
- Distance (km)
- 87.9
- SQM
- 20.61
- Bortle
- 5
-
Mata de São João, Bahia
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 69.4
- SQM
- 19.91
- Bortle
- 6
-
Cardeal da Silva, Bahia
- Direction
- NNE
- Distance (km)
- 120.2
- SQM
- 20.95
- Bortle
- 4