Savannah Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

17.81

Bortle class

Class 9 (Class 9)

Darkness Quotient

21%

Dataset

July 2026

Inner city sky

Savannah: The Practical Verdict

Savannah, a mid-size city in Georgia, offers stargazers a suburban setting with a notably severe urban sky. Light pollution is prevalent, severely affecting visibility, with a darkness quotient indicating high light pollution. The primary limitation here is the overwhelming light dome, making most faint celestial targets out of reach.

From this location, observers can still enjoy the Moon, planets, and bright stars as they pierce through the city’s light pollution. For those aiming to capture celestial images, narrowband imaging is feasible, though care is needed.

For a modest improvement, heading towards Jennys, South Carolina, located about 105 km south-south-east, offers a tangible but not dramatic enhancement in sky quality.

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

Limited nearby upgrade

Jennys, South Carolina is the strongest nearby option but remains Bortle 5; the improvement is real but modest.

Good dark window

Savannah'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 Savannah?

No. Savannah is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.81, 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 Savannah?

Savannah is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.81), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Savannah good for stargazing?

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

Is Savannah good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Savannah?

Primary targets from Savannah 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 Savannah?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Jasper County, South Carolina, about 17 km east of Savannah, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Savannah?

The sky over Savannah is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Savannah getting better or worse?

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

• Jasper County, South Carolina

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  17

  SQM

  19.75

  Bortle

  6

• Wilmington Island, Georgia

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  18.2

  SQM

  19.67

  Bortle

  6

• Snake Road, South Carolina

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  37.8

  SQM

  20.05

  Bortle

  6

• Longwood, South Carolina

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  53.3

  SQM

  20.47

  Bortle

  5

• McIntosh County, Georgia

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  53.3

  SQM

  20.29

  Bortle

  6

• Jennys, South Carolina

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  104.8

  SQM

  20.77

  Bortle

  5