Night Sky Tonight in Taos

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.

Taos sits at 6,900 feet on the high plateau of northern New Mexico, with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east and the Rio Grande Gorge cutting west of town. The gorge rim offers high-contrast foreground with a 500-foot vertical drop. Driving 10 minutes in any direction gets you to Bortle 3 or better, and the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument surrounding the gorge is largely undeveloped.

The galactic core is visible from late March through October. New Mexico's climate is among the most favorable for astrophotography in the US, with low humidity, high elevation, and reliable clear nights. The core rises in the south over the open plateau and pairs well with the Rio Grande Gorge bridge or west rim as foreground.