Lima Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

17.07

Bortle class

Class 9 (Class 9)

Darkness Quotient

16%

Dataset

April 2026

Inner city sky

Lima: The Practical Verdict

Lima, the capital of Peru, is a global metropolis surrounded by urban densities extending into its outskirts. The cityscape imposes extreme light pollution conditions, which render the urban sky severe for stargazing purposes with a Bortle 9 classification and no visible Milky Way. Primary sky brightness from the south-south-east furthers this limitation.

Under such conditions, only the brightest targets such as the Moon, planets, and some double stars are practical for observation. Those with imaging setups might find moderate success with narrowband photography, but visual observation beyond these categories will find little satisfaction due to the brightness of the background sky.

For dedicated stargazing or deeper observations, a darker site such as Colquioc, Ancash, located about 205 km west-north-west, offers a material improvement with Bortle 3 class and near-pristine skies. This site is highly recommended for escaping Lima's urban light dome.

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

Colquioc, Ancash sits about 205 km west north west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 52x darker.

Good dark window

Lima 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 Lima?

No. Lima is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.07, 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 Lima?

Lima is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.07), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Lima good for stargazing?

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

Is Lima good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Lima?

Primary targets from Lima 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 Lima?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is San Buenaventura, Lima, about 77 km north north east of Lima, reaching Bortle 4.

When is the sky darkest in Lima?

The sky over Lima is darkest around June, July.

Is light pollution in Lima getting better or worse?

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

• San Buenaventura, Lima

  Direction

  NNE

  Distance (km)

  76.9

  SQM

  20.82

  Bortle

  4

• Huacho, Lima

  Direction

  NW

  Distance (km)

  102.5

  SQM

  21.11

  Bortle

  4

• Pituranga, Lima

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  91.5

  SQM

  19.87

  Bortle

  6

• Colquioc, Ancash

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  205.3

  SQM

  21.35

  Bortle

  3

• Ica

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  261.3

  SQM

  21.54

  Bortle

  3

• Pangoa, Junín

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  297.2

  SQM

  21.51

  Bortle

  3