Stargaze Atlas

New Mexico dark-sky map — light pollution by town

25 towns rated · darkest: South Valley · measured from VIIRS 2024 satellite night-lights

New Mexico has 25 towns rated for light pollution here, from its darkest — South Valley (Bortle 5) — to its brightest city cores, with 0 rating as genuinely dark or rural sky (Bortle 4 or better). Every town is listed with the nearest measurably darker town to drive to. It also holds 10 certified International Dark Sky Places, listed below with the nearest rated town to each. Ratings are a VIIRS satellite proxy, not survey-grade sky-brightness readings.

Statewide New Mexico · VIIRS 2024
Towns rated
25

0 rate as genuinely dark or rural sky (about Bortle 4 or better).

Darkest town
South Valley
Genuinely dark towns
0
Certified dark-sky places
10

Certified dark-sky places in New Mexico

10 sites in New Mexico hold an International Dark Sky Place certification — awarded for actively protecting the night sky, not measured from orbit like the town ratings below. What each designation means →

Certified International Dark Sky Places in New Mexico.
Place Designation Coordinates Nearest rated town Distance That town's sky
Chaco Culture National Historical Park Dark Sky Park 36.060°N, 107.970°W Farmington 48 mi B8
Cosmic Campground Dark Sky Sanctuary 33.480°N, 108.923°W Silver City 62 mi B6
El Morro National Monument Dark Sky Park 35.038°N, 108.353°W Gallup 40 mi B8
Fort Union National Monument Dark Sky Park 35.907°N, 105.012°W Las Vegas 25 mi B7
Goosenecks State Park Dark Sky Park 37.175°N, 109.927°W Farmington 99 mi B8
Hovenweep National Monument Dark Sky Park 37.384°N, 109.068°W Farmington 65 mi B8
Natural Bridges National Monument Dark Sky Park 37.601°N, 110.014°W Farmington 115 mi B8
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Dark Sky Park 34.260°N, 106.090°W Los Lunas 53 mi B7
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Urban Night Sky Place 35.100°N, 106.600°W Albuquerque 3 mi B8
Valles Caldera National Preserve Dark Sky Park 35.867°N, 106.567°W Los Alamos 15 mi B6

All New Mexico towns by darkness

Darkest sky first, each with the nearest measurably darker town to drive to. Sort or filter below.

New Mexico towns, darkest sky first.
Sky Nearest darker sky
South Valley 5 Suburban sky 4.9 Pueblo West, CO — B4, 255 mi
Chaparral 5 Suburban sky 5.1 Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ — B4, 230 mi
Silver City 6 Bright suburban sky 12 Chaparral — B5, 120 mi
Sunland Park 6 Bright suburban sky 12 Chaparral — B5, 19 mi
Enchanted Hills 6 Bright suburban sky 12 South Valley — B5, 23 mi
Los Alamos 6 Bright suburban sky 15 South Valley — B5, 64 mi
North Valley 6 Bright suburban sky 17 South Valley — B5, 12 mi
Española 6 Bright suburban sky 18 South Valley — B5, 76 mi
Las Vegas 7 Suburban / urban transition 28 Española — B6, 55 mi
Los Lunas 7 Suburban / urban transition 31 South Valley — B5, 14 mi
Rio Rancho 7 Suburban / urban transition 36 North Valley — B6, 5 mi
Artesia 7 Suburban / urban transition 38 Chaparral — B5, 130 mi
Alamogordo 7 Suburban / urban transition 39 Chaparral — B5, 65 mi
Roswell 8 City sky 41 Artesia — B7, 39 mi
Deming 8 City sky 42 Silver City — B6, 46 mi
Portales 8 City sky 43 Levelland, TX — B7, 69 mi
Lovington 8 City sky 44 Artesia — B7, 62 mi
Farmington 8 City sky 47 Durango, CO — B7, 42 mi
Santa Fe 8 City sky 47 Española — B6, 23 mi
Las Cruces 8 City sky 51 Chaparral — B5, 30 mi
Hobbs 8 City sky 52 Andrews, TX — B7, 43 mi
Clovis 8 City sky 53 Hereford, TX — B7, 54 mi
Gallup 8 City sky 55 Show Low, AZ — B6, 115 mi
Carlsbad 8 City sky 62 Artesia — B7, 31 mi
Albuquerque 8 City sky 76 South Valley — B5, 5 mi

Frequently asked questions

Where are the darkest skies in New Mexico?
The darkest town tracked here is South Valley, but the genuinely dark skies in New Mexico are its 10 certified International Dark Sky Places — Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Cosmic Campground, El Morro National Monument, Fort Union National Monument and others — listed further down with the nearest rated town to each.
How many dark-sky towns does New Mexico have?
Of 25 towns rated here, 0 rate as genuinely dark or rural sky (about Bortle 4 or better) — good for seeing the Milky Way on a clear, moonless night.
How are these light-pollution ratings measured?
From VIIRS 2024 annual-average satellite night-lights, sampled at each town's center and mapped to a darkness class and an estimated Bortle band. It is a satellite upward-radiance proxy for planning, not a survey-grade sky-brightness reading. See the methodology page for details.

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