Stargazing in Cochabamba, Cochabamba, Bolivia

Dark-sky rating for Cochabamba

Cochabamba, Cochabamba, Bolivia is a mid-sized city (population about 841,276). A place this size typically has a bright suburban sky: main constellations are easy, the Milky Way is washed out. That is an estimate of Bortle class 5–6 from population, not a measurement: the real value depends on the exact spot you observe from.

For a measured reading at any point, open the live Dark Sky map.

Nearest dark-sky places and observatories

No certified dark-sky place or observatory in our registry lies within 150 km of Cochabamba. Our list only includes genuine, publicly documented sites, so none is shown rather than guessed.

Milky Way season in Cochabamba

The bright core of the Milky Way passes almost directly overhead. It climbs at least 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness in February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, peaking in April at about 78°.

• The south celestial pole stands 17.4° above the horizon, so stars within 17° of it never set from here.
• About 64.9% of the whole sky rises above the horizon at some point in the year from this latitude.
• The Milky Way's core in Sagittarius culminates about 78.4° up, passing almost directly overhead.
• The Large Magellanic Cloud only reaches about 37.7° altitude, so it is a low, seasonal target rather than a year-round one.
• At 2537 m elevation, roughly 26% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Tonight and aurora

As of October 14, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a Waxing Crescent at 15% illumination. Aurora at 17.4° latitude generally needs about Kp 9.0.

Nearby places

• Sacaba, Cochabamba, Bolivia
• Oruro, Oruro, Bolivia
• Sucre, Chuquisaca Department, Bolivia
• La Paz, La Paz Department, Bolivia
• Potosi, Potosí Department, Bolivia
• Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia