Night Sky Tonight in Pagosa Springs

The live score above pulls today's forecast and runs it through StarCast's scoring model, which factors in cloud cover, moon illumination, Bortle class, humidity, and atmospheric transparency. Above 70 is an excellent night. Below 40, conditions are poor. The score updates daily.

Pagosa Springs sits at 7,100 feet at the edge of the San Juan National Forest, with Wolf Creek Pass to the north and the Weminuche Wilderness to the west. The nearest significant city is Durango, 60 miles west. The San Juan River and surrounding meadows provide open foreground, and Wolf Creek Pass offers higher elevation shooting at 10,856 feet just 25 miles up the road.

The galactic core is visible from late March through October. The transition from mountain to high desert here reduces the moisture that clouds out higher elevations, keeping clear nights frequent. The core rises in the south toward the New Mexico border with minimal obstruction.