Madrid Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Madrid

City
Madrid
Country
Spain
Latitude
40.4168
Longitude
-3.7038

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec虏)
17.78
Bortle class
Class 9 (Class 9)
Darkness Quotient
21%
Dataset
April 2026

Inner city sky

Madrid: The Practical Verdict

Madrid is a major city in the Community of Madrid, Spain, with a population exceeding seven million. The city suffers from severe urban sky brightness, rendering it challenging for serious stargazing. With a measured brightness consistent with high light pollution, the overall visibility of celestial objects is limited.

The Milky Way is completely obscured here, and the bright skies restrict observation to the Moon, planets, and bright double stars. Low surface-brightness objects, broadband nebulae, and most meteor-shower activity are not recommended. For keen astronomers, narrowband imaging of specific bright targets could still provide rewarding results with care in processing to manage gradients and light pollution effects.

For those willing to travel, Las Pedreras in Castile and Le贸n, approximately 220 km west, offers a significant improvement with darker skies suitable for deep-sky observation. The accessibility of such sites underscores the contrast between Madrid's urban setting and the rural nightscape of its surroundings.

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
Las Pedreras, Castile and Le贸n sits about 221 km west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 20x darker.
Good dark window
Madrid'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 Madrid?

No. Madrid is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.78, 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 Madrid?

Madrid is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.78), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Madrid good for stargazing?

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

Is Madrid good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Madrid?

Primary targets from Madrid 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 Madrid?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Montuenga, Castile and Le贸n, about 104 km north west of Madrid, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Madrid?

The sky over Madrid is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Madrid getting better or worse?

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

north - marginal

The north horizon is brighter than natural. Faint stars are suppressed up to roughly 15-20 degrees elevation.

north-north-east - poor

Bright skyglow dominates the lower north-north-east sky. This direction is not suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.

north-east - marginal

A soft but obvious glow marks the north-east horizon. The lowest 15-20 degrees of sky in this direction are degraded.

east-north-east - marginal

The lower east-north-east sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.

east - marginal

The lower east sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.

east-south-east - marginal

A soft but obvious glow marks the east-south-east horizon. The lowest 15-20 degrees of sky in this direction are degraded.

south-east - fair

Subtle skyglow on the south-east horizon. Faint stars below about 10 degrees here are slightly suppressed.

south-south-east - marginal

Persistent skyglow on the south-south-east horizon. Faint stars near the ground in this direction are lost.

south - poor

A bright dome of skyglow sits on the south horizon. Faint stars are suppressed up to roughly 25 degrees elevation.

south-south-west - poor

Bright skyglow dominates the lower south-south-west sky. This direction is not suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.

south-west - marginal

Persistent skyglow on the south-west horizon. Faint stars near the ground in this direction are lost.

west-south-west - marginal

Moderate brightening on the west-south-west horizon. Star counts at low elevation here are reduced.

west - marginal

Moderate brightening on the west horizon. Star counts at low elevation here are reduced.

west-north-west - marginal

A soft but obvious glow marks the west-north-west horizon. The lowest 15-20 degrees of sky in this direction are degraded.

north-west - fair

The north-west horizon shows a slight brightening. Workable for most targets above about 10 degrees elevation.

north-north-west - fair

The north-north-west horizon shows a slight brightening. Workable for most targets above about 10 degrees elevation.

zenith - poor

Heavy skyglow overhead. A few dozen stars and the brightest planets are accessible to the naked eye.

  • Montuenga, Castile and Le贸n
    Direction
    NW
    Distance (km)
    104.2
    SQM
    20.67
    Bortle
    5
  • Alto los Buitres, Castile and Le贸n
    Direction
    NNE
    Distance (km)
    154.7
    SQM
    20.51
    Bortle
    5
  • Mecerreyes, Castile and Le贸n
    Direction
    ESE
    Distance (km)
    190.9
    SQM
    20.89
    Bortle
    4
  • Las Pedreras, Castile and Le贸n
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    221.3
    SQM
    21.05
    Bortle
    4
  • Singra, Aragon
    Direction
    E
    Distance (km)
    205.2
    SQM
    20.64
    Bortle
    5
  • Montiel, Castile-La Mancha
    Direction
    SSE
    Distance (km)
    224.8
    SQM
    20.86
    Bortle
    4