Pomona Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Pomona
- City
- Pomona
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 34.0553
- Longitude
- -117.7500
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.85
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 22%
- Dataset
- July 2026
Inner city sky
Pomona: The Practical Verdict
Pomona, a small city in the United States, presents challenging stargazing conditions due to high light pollution. The sky quality here is classified as a severe urban sky, making serious astronomical observation difficult. The primary limiting factor is the overwhelming brightness of the local sky, which largely obscures dimmer celestial phenomena.
From Pomona, the Milky Way is not visible, and visual deep-sky observing is unfeasible. However, observers can still find value in targeting the Moon, planets, and bright stars. Solar system events and double stars remain within reach, though typically require narrowband imaging.
For those seeking a notable improvement in star visibility, travelling approximately 150 km south south-west to a site classified as Bortle 3 is recommended. This allows for significantly darker skies and better conditions for deep-sky observation.
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
- 148 km SSW sits about 148 km south south west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 33x darker.
- Good dark window
- Pomona'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 Pomona?
No. Pomona is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.85, 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 Pomona?
Pomona is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.85), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is Pomona good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Pomona is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Pomona good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Pomona and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Pomona without careful processing.
What can you observe from Pomona?
Primary targets from Pomona 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 Pomona?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is 34 km NNW, about 34 km north north west of Pomona, reaching Bortle 6.
When is the sky darkest in Pomona?
The sky over Pomona is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Pomona getting better or worse?
There is not yet enough long-term data to give a confident trend for Pomona.
north - fair
Faint glow on the north horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
north-north-east - fair
A trace of skyglow near the north-north-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
north-east - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the north-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
east-north-east - poor
The lower east-north-east sky is heavily light-polluted. Only the brightest stars stand out near the horizon.
east - poor
The east horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.
east-south-east - poor
The east-south-east horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.
south-east - poor
Strong skyglow on the south-east horizon. Stars below about 30 degrees in this direction are largely lost.
south-south-east - marginal
The south-south-east sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
south - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the south horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
south-south-west - marginal
The south-south-west lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
south-west - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the south-west horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
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 - marginal
Noticeable glow on the west horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
west-north-west - poor
The west-north-west horizon shows a strong orange-white glow. Star counts drop sharply below about 25 degrees here.
north-west - marginal
The north-west sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
north-north-west - fair
The north-north-west sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
zenith - poor
The overhead sky is washed out by artificial light. Constellation patterns are reduced to their brightest members.
-
34 km NNW
- Direction
- NNW
- Distance (km)
- 33.8
- SQM
- 20.10
- Bortle
- 6
-
98 km SW
- Direction
- SW
- Distance (km)
- 97.7
- SQM
- 20.84
- Bortle
- 4
-
148 km SSW
- Direction
- SSW
- Distance (km)
- 147.6
- SQM
- 21.64
- Bortle
- 3
-
95 km NW
- Direction
- NW
- Distance (km)
- 94.8
- SQM
- 20.05
- Bortle
- 6
-
203 km W
- Direction
- W
- Distance (km)
- 203
- SQM
- 21.31
- Bortle
- 3