Scottsdale Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Scottsdale
- City
- Scottsdale
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 33.4942
- Longitude
- -111.9261
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.81
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 21%
- Dataset
- July 2026
Inner city sky
Scottsdale: The Practical Verdict
Scottsdale, a mid-size city in Arizona, suffers from high light pollution, impacting its stargazing potential severely. The city's sky qualifies as a severe urban sky, where the Milky Way is entirely invisible.
From within Scottsdale, planetary observations, bright stars, and lunar details remain feasible. However, visual deep-sky observing and widefield Milky Way imaging are generally futile due to the intense light pollution. Imaging is best attempted in narrowband, but even then, care must be taken to mitigate against the overwhelming light gradient.
For a substantial improvement in sky quality, consider travelling to Caborca, Sonora, which lies about 245 km south south west. It offers a noticeably darker sky under Bortle 3 conditions, suitable for more serious deep-sky astronomy.
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
- Caborca, Sonora sits about 247 km south south west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 28x darker.
- Good dark window
- Scottsdale'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 Scottsdale?
No. Scottsdale is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.81, 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 Scottsdale?
Scottsdale is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.81), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is Scottsdale good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Scottsdale is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Scottsdale good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Scottsdale and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Scottsdale without careful processing.
What can you observe from Scottsdale?
Primary targets from Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is East Bogles Ranch Road, Arizona, about 211 km north west of Scottsdale, reaching Bortle 5.
When is the sky darkest in Scottsdale?
The sky over Scottsdale is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Scottsdale getting better or worse?
There is not yet enough long-term data to give a confident trend for Scottsdale.
north - poor
The lower north sky is heavily light-polluted. Only the brightest stars stand out near the horizon.
north-north-east - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the north-north-east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
north-east - fair
The north-east sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
east-north-east - fair
The east-north-east sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
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 - marginal
Noticeable glow on the east-south-east horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
south-east - poor
Strong skyglow on the south-east horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.
south-south-east - poor
Strong skyglow on the south-south-east horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.
south - poor
The south horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.
south-south-west - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the south-south-west horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
south-west - poor
Heavy light pollution to the south-west. The lower 30 degrees of sky in this direction are unusable for faint targets.
west-south-west - poor
The lower west-south-west sky is heavily light-polluted. Only the brightest stars stand out near the horizon.
west - poor
Heavy light pollution to the west. The lower 30 degrees of sky in this direction are unusable for faint targets.
west-north-west - marginal
Noticeable glow on the west-north-west horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
north-west - marginal
The north-west sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
north-north-west - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the north-north-west horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
zenith - poor
The zenith sky background is high. Most faint stars are absent and the Milky Way cannot be seen.
-
Apache County, Arizona
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 252.5
- SQM
- 21.55
- Bortle
- 3
-
Caborca, Sonora
- Direction
- SSW
- Distance (km)
- 246.9
- SQM
- 21.42
- Bortle
- 3
-
East Bogles Ranch Road, Arizona
- Direction
- NW
- Distance (km)
- 211.4
- SQM
- 20.45
- Bortle
- 5