If you've ever tried to plan a stargazing trip, you know the biggest obstacle usually isn't the weather — it's finding a spot dark enough to actually see the stars.
I've been using Light Pollution Map to solve this. It's a free, interactive map that overlays light pollution data (VIIRS/Bortle-scale style data) on top of a regular map, so you can visually scan for the darkest nearby areas instead of guessing.
A few things I find useful about it:
- Zoom into your region and see light pollution levels as a color-coded overlay, from bright urban cores down to pristine dark-sky sites.
- Search by location to quickly check how dark the sky is near a specific address, park, or campsite.
- Useful for astrophotographers, amateur astronomers, or anyone just planning a weekend under the stars.
It's a nice example of turning open geospatial/light-pollution datasets into something practical and easy to use in the browser, no signup required to just browse the map.
If you're into astronomy, camping, or landscape photography, it's worth bookmarking: https://www.lightpollutionmap.io/
Curious if others here have favorite tools for planning dark-sky trips or astrophotography sessions — would love to hear what you use.
