Jacksonville Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Jacksonville
- City
- Jacksonville
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 30.3322
- Longitude
- -81.6557
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.59
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 20%
- Dataset
- April 2026
Inner city sky
Jacksonville: The Practical Verdict
Jacksonville, located in northern Florida, is a major urban centre with high population density. Unfortunately, stargazing from within the city is severely limited due to extreme light pollution, categorised as Bortle Class 9. This results in a sky that is almost entirely washed out for astronomical purposes.
The brightest celestial objects like the Moon, planets, and double stars remain visible despite the conditions, and narrowband imaging may allow observation of certain nebulae with careful calibration. However, visual deep-sky observing and broadband astrophotography are strongly discouraged due to overwhelming light gradients. The Milky Way is entirely invisible.
For those seeking a significant improvement, Hatchbend, Florida, located around 130 km to the west-south-west, offers a Bortle Class 4 sky. This site provides access to darker skies suitable for deep-sky astronomy and is well worth the visit for keen observers.
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
- Hatchbend, Florida sits about 132 km west south west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 22x darker.
- Good dark window
- Jacksonville'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 Jacksonville?
No. Jacksonville is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.59, 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 Jacksonville?
Jacksonville is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.59), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is Jacksonville good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Jacksonville is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Jacksonville good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Jacksonville and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Jacksonville without careful processing.
What can you observe from Jacksonville?
Primary targets from Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Jacksonville, Florida, about 17 km north north east of Jacksonville, reaching Bortle 7.
When is the sky darkest in Jacksonville?
The sky over Jacksonville is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Jacksonville getting better or worse?
There is not yet enough long-term data to give a confident trend for Jacksonville.
north - marginal
A soft but obvious glow marks the north horizon. The lowest 15-20 degrees of sky in this direction are degraded.
north-north-east - marginal
The lower north-north-east sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.
north-east - fair
The north-east horizon is mostly dark with a hint of light pollution. Faint stars are accessible above about 10 degrees.
east-north-east - marginal
Moderate brightening on the east-north-east horizon. Star counts at low elevation here are reduced.
east - marginal
The lower east sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.
east-south-east - marginal
Persistent skyglow on the east-south-east horizon. Faint stars near the ground in this direction are lost.
south-east - marginal
The lower south-east sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.
south-south-east - marginal
The south-south-east horizon is brighter than natural. Faint stars are suppressed up to roughly 15-20 degrees elevation.
south - fair
The south horizon shows a slight brightening. Workable for most targets above about 10 degrees elevation.
south-south-west - marginal
The lower south-south-west sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.
south-west - marginal
Moderate brightening on the south-west horizon. Star counts at low elevation here are reduced.
west-south-west - marginal
The lower west-south-west sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.
west - fair
Subtle skyglow on the west horizon. Faint stars below about 10 degrees here are slightly suppressed.
west-north-west - fair
The west-north-west horizon is mostly dark with a hint of light pollution. Faint stars are accessible above about 10 degrees.
north-west - fair
A small artificial brightening near the north-west horizon. Star counts in this direction remain high above the lowest elevations.
north-north-west - marginal
Moderate brightening on the north-north-west horizon. Star counts at low elevation here are reduced.
zenith - poor
Heavy skyglow overhead. A few dozen stars and the brightest planets are accessible to the naked eye.
-
Jacksonville, Florida
- Direction
- NNE
- Distance (km)
- 16.5
- SQM
- 19.23
- Bortle
- 7
-
Saint Marys, Georgia
- Direction
- NNE
- Distance (km)
- 53.7
- SQM
- 20.01
- Bortle
- 6
-
Hatchbend, Florida
- Direction
- WSW
- Distance (km)
- 131.7
- SQM
- 20.97
- Bortle
- 4
-
FL 121, Florida
- Direction
- SW
- Distance (km)
- 123.3
- SQM
- 20.41
- Bortle
- 5
-
Volusia County, Florida
- Direction
- SSE
- Distance (km)
- 110.9
- SQM
- 20.02
- Bortle
- 6
-
McIntosh County, Georgia
- Direction
- N
- Distance (km)
- 130.2
- SQM
- 20.47
- Bortle
- 5