98008 Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near 98008
- City
- 98008
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 47.6116
- Longitude
- -122.1173
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 19.00
- Bortle class
- Class 7 (Class 7)
- Darkness Quotient
- 33%
- Dataset
- May 2026
Suburban/urban transition
98008: The Practical Verdict
98008 is a hamlet located in Washington, with the bustling city of Seattle only about 15 km to the west. Stargazing here is hindered by high light pollution, rendering the sky generally poor for astronomy. The most limiting factor is the bright light dome from Seattle, which makes the Milky Way not visible.
For observers in 98008, practical targets include the Moon, planets, and bright double stars, while faint objects and deep-sky visual observations remain elusive. Narrowband imaging can be done with careful processing, fetching detail from bright emission nebulae, but broadband photography is unproductive.
For those seeking an upgrade, Snowall Cradle Trail in Washington lies about 85 km east and offers a significant improvement over 98008's sky conditions. There, Bortle 4 skies allow for more rewarding deep-sky observations.
At a Glance
- Overall
- Poor urban/suburban sky - This is a poor sky for astronomy. The Moon, planets, and a few bright objects remain viable, but deep-sky work is difficult.
- Milky Way
- Not visible - The Milky Way is not realistically visible from this level of light pollution.
- Best targets from here
- Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing
- Do not prioritise
- visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, Milky Way photography
- Best nearby upgrade
- Snowall Cradle Trail, Washington sits about 85 km east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 7.9x darker.
- Moderate dark window
- 98008's longest dark windows fall in December and January, with the shortest nights around June and July. Plan deep-sky sessions around the autumn and winter months for the best combination of long nights and true astronomical darkness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see the Milky Way from 98008?
No. 98008 is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.00, so the Milky Way is not visible from the city. For Milky Way photography, look for a Bortle 4 or darker site.
What Bortle class is 98008?
98008 is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.00), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.
Is 98008 good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. 98008 is a poor urban/suburban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is 98008 good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from 98008 and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Narrowband imaging of bright emission nebulae remains viable from 98008 with appropriate Ha or OIII filters.
What can you observe from 98008?
Primary targets from 98008 include Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.
Where are darker skies near 98008?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Horseshoe Avenue Southwest, Washington, about 46 km west south west of 98008, reaching Bortle 6.
When is the sky darkest in 98008?
The sky over 98008 is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in 98008 getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over 98008 has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - fair
Subtle skyglow on the north horizon. Faint stars below about 10 degrees here are slightly suppressed.
north-north-east - fair
The north-north-east horizon shows a slight brightening. Workable for most targets above about 10 degrees elevation.
north-east - good
No visible glow on the north-east horizon. Stars are clear down to low elevation in this direction.
east-north-east - good
No visible glow on the east-north-east horizon. Stars are clear down to low elevation in this direction.
east - good
Clean, dark sky to the east. No visible artificial light source affects this quarter.
east-south-east - good
Clean horizon to the east-south-east. Star counts remain high near the ground.
south-east - good
The south-east sky shows no obvious glow at ground level. Faint stars are clear at low elevation.
south-south-east - good
The south-south-east horizon is free of artificial brightening. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground.
south - fair
The south horizon is mostly dark with a hint of light pollution. Faint stars are accessible above about 10 degrees.
south-south-west - marginal
Persistent skyglow on the south-south-west horizon. Faint stars near the ground in this direction are lost.
south-west - marginal
A soft but obvious glow marks the south-west horizon. The lowest 15-20 degrees of sky in this direction are degraded.
west-south-west - marginal
A soft but obvious glow marks the west-south-west horizon. The lowest 15-20 degrees of sky in this direction are degraded.
west - poor
The west horizon is bright with artificial light. Only stars brighter than magnitude 3 are visible at low elevation.
west-north-west - marginal
The lower west-north-west sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.
north-west - fair
Mild brightening on the north-west horizon. Faint stars at the very lowest elevation are dimmed; otherwise unaffected.
north-north-west - marginal
The lower north-north-west sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.
zenith - fair
The zenith sky is workable but lacks depth. Major constellations are intact; faint stars between them are thinned.
-
Nordland, Washington
- Direction
- NW
- Distance (km)
- 63.4
- SQM
- 20.72
- Bortle
- 5
-
Snowall Cradle Trail, Washington
- Direction
- E
- Distance (km)
- 84.8
- SQM
- 21.24
- Bortle
- 4
-
Horseshoe Avenue Southwest, Washington
- Direction
- WSW
- Distance (km)
- 46.4
- SQM
- 20.20
- Bortle
- 6
-
Grays Harbor County, Washington
- Direction
- WSW
- Distance (km)
- 115.2
- SQM
- 21.03
- Bortle
- 4
-
Jefferson County, Washington
- Direction
- WNW
- Distance (km)
- 118.6
- SQM
- 20.94
- Bortle
- 4
-
Center Road, Washington
- Direction
- NNW
- Distance (km)
- 120.4
- SQM
- 20.65
- Bortle
- 5