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
May 2026

Inner city sky

Hollywood: The Practical Verdict

Hollywood, a small city in Florida, is heavily impacted by urban light pollution from the surrounding area. It is classified as a severe urban sky under extreme light pollution, making stargazing challenging. The primary limiting factor is the bright light dome that obscures fainter celestial objects.

From this location, stargazers are largely restricted to observing the Moon, planets, and the brightest stars. While narrowband imaging of the brightest nebulae can be attempted with care, deep-sky observing and widefield views of the Milky Way are not feasible due to the intense light pollution.

For those seeking a significant improvement in observing conditions, East Grand Bahama, located to the east north east of Hollywood, offers a notable upgrade with a Bortle 3 sky. This site is worthwhile for serious deep-sky observing, although it requires travelling a considerable distance from the city.

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 206 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 Collier County, Florida, about 84 km 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?

Long-term light pollution over Hollywood has been broadly stable across the available measurements.

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.

  • Collier County, Florida
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    84.3
    SQM
    20.19
    Bortle
    6
  • Monroe County, Florida
    Direction
    SW
    Distance (km)
    109.1
    SQM
    20.39
    Bortle
    5
  • Marathon, Florida
    Direction
    SSW
    Distance (km)
    160
    SQM
    20.87
    Bortle
    4
  • East Grand Bahama
    Direction
    ENE
    Distance (km)
    206.3
    SQM
    21.60
    Bortle
    3
  • Highlands County, Florida
    Direction
    NW
    Distance (km)
    167
    SQM
    20.11
    Bortle
    6
  • North Andros
    Direction
    ESE
    Distance (km)
    258.7
    SQM
    21.30
    Bortle
    4