Seville Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Seville

City
Seville
Country
Spain
Latitude
37.3891
Longitude
-5.9845

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
17.63
Bortle class
Class 9 (Class 9)
Darkness Quotient
20%
Dataset
August 2026

Inner city sky

Seville: The Practical Verdict

Seville, a major city in Andalusia, is enveloped by extreme light pollution, making it a severe urban sky for stargazing. There's little chance for deep-sky observations here, as the brightness swallows all but the most intense celestial objects.

In this inner-city environment, focus on the Moon, planets, and the brightest stars which can still break through the severe light pollution. Forget about the Milky Way or fainter nebulae—these are completely invisible here. For imaging, narrowband photography might yield some results if you’re diligent, but deep space broadband images won't fare well.

For a significant boost in observing conditions, you can head towards El Serrano, Extremadura, about 70 km east north-east. This location offers a substantial improvement with a Bortle class of 4, making it a worthwhile trip for those in search of deep-sky objects.

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
El Serrano, Extremadura sits about 71 km east north east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 21x darker.
Good dark window
Seville'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 Seville?

No. Seville is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.63, 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 Seville?

Seville is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.63), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Seville good for stargazing?

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

Is Seville good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Seville?

Primary targets from Seville 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 Seville?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is El Italiano, Andalusia, about 42 km south south west of Seville, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Seville?

The sky over Seville is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Seville getting better or worse?

Long-term light pollution over Seville 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 - fair

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

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

east - fair

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

east-south-east - marginal

A diffuse glow sits on the east-south-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.

south-east - fair

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

south-south-east - marginal

Soft skyglow visible on the south-south-east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.

south - fair

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

south-south-west - fair

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

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 - fair

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

west - fair

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

west-north-west - good

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

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 - fair

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

zenith - poor

The zenith sky is bright. The Milky Way is absent and most constellation stars are not visible.

  • El Italiano, Andalusia
    Direction
    SSW
    Distance (km)
    41.6
    SQM
    20.18
    Bortle
    6
  • El Serrano, Extremadura
    Direction
    ENE
    Distance (km)
    70.5
    SQM
    20.93
    Bortle
    4
  • Almonte, Andalusia
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    49.2
    SQM
    19.94
    Bortle
    6
  • MorĂłn de la Frontera, Andalusia
    Direction
    ESE
    Distance (km)
    71.9
    SQM
    20.12
    Bortle
    6
  • Alcornocalejo, Andalusia
    Direction
    S
    Distance (km)
    85.2
    SQM
    20.16
    Bortle
    6
  • Amendoeira da Serra
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    160.7
    SQM
    20.82
    Bortle
    4