Hollywood Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Hollywood

City
Hollywood
Country
United States
Latitude
26.0112
Longitude
-80.1495

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
17.56
Bortle class
Class 9 (Class 9)
Darkness Quotient
19%
Dataset
July 2026

Inner city sky

Hollywood: The Practical Verdict

Hollywood, a suburban small city near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is heavily impacted by extreme light pollution, making it a challenging location for serious stargazing. Observing here falls under a severe urban sky, with the Milky Way completely invisible due to the bright conditions.

From Hollywood's skies, observations are largely limited to the Moon, planets, bright stars, and double stars, with solar system events being potentially worthwhile. Narrowband imaging may be possible with care, but visual deep-sky observing is best avoided due to the overpowering light pollution. The southern horizon suffers the most from glare.

For a significantly darker sky, consider travelling to East Grand Bahama, located around 205 km east-north-east, where you will find a Bortle 3 sky with far fewer light pollution challenges.

At a Glance

Overall
Severe urban sky - This is a severely light-polluted urban sky. Only the Moon, planets, bright stars, and a few specialist targets remain practical.
Milky Way
Not visible - The Milky Way is not visible from this sky.
Best targets from here
Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events, narrowband imaging only with care
Do not prioritise
visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, widefield Milky Way
Best nearby upgrade
East Grand Bahama sits about 207 km east north east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 41x darker.
Good dark window
Hollywood'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 Hollywood?

No. Hollywood is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.56, 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 Hollywood?

Hollywood is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.56), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Hollywood good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Hollywood is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.

Is Hollywood good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Hollywood and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Hollywood without careful processing.

What can you observe from Hollywood?

Primary targets from Hollywood include Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Hollywood?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Miami-Dade County, Florida, about 75 km west south west of Hollywood, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Hollywood?

The sky over Hollywood is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Hollywood getting better or worse?

There is not yet enough long-term data to give a confident trend for Hollywood.

north - poor

Strong skyglow on the north horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.

north-north-east - marginal

Soft skyglow visible on the north-north-east horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.

north-east - fair

A faint diffuse glow on the north-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.

east-north-east - fair

A faint diffuse glow on the east-north-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.

east - fair

The east sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.

east-south-east - fair

A trace of skyglow near the east-south-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

south-east - fair

A trace of skyglow near the south-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.

south-south-east - marginal

Noticeable glow on the south-south-east horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.

south - marginal

Soft skyglow visible on the south horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.

south-south-west - poor

Heavy light pollution to the south-south-west. The lower 30 degrees of sky in this direction are unusable for faint targets.

south-west - poor

The south-west sky is washed out near the horizon. Most constellation stars in the lower sky here are not visible.

west-south-west - poor

The west-south-west sky is washed out near the horizon. Most constellation stars in the lower sky here are not visible.

west - poor

The lower west sky is heavily light-polluted. Only the brightest stars stand out near the horizon.

west-north-west - marginal

The west-north-west lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.

north-west - poor

The north-west horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.

north-north-west - poor

The north-north-west sky is washed out near the horizon. Most constellation stars in the lower sky here are not visible.

zenith - poor

The zenith sky is bright. The Milky Way is absent and most constellation stars are not visible.

  • Miami-Dade County, Florida
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    74.8
    SQM
    19.90
    Bortle
    6
  • Collier County, Florida
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    102.2
    SQM
    20.36
    Bortle
    5
  • Monroe County, Florida
    Direction
    SW
    Distance (km)
    110.6
    SQM
    20.57
    Bortle
    5
  • East Grand Bahama
    Direction
    ENE
    Distance (km)
    206.6
    SQM
    21.59
    Bortle
    3
  • Saint Lucie County, Florida
    Direction
    NW
    Distance (km)
    143.8
    SQM
    19.80
    Bortle
    6
  • Highlands County, Florida
    Direction
    NW
    Distance (km)
    171.4
    SQM
    20.16
    Bortle
    6