light pollution Archives

Calling all stargazers and photographers! We’re excited to introduce our new and improved Light Pollution map layer. Using an easy-to-read color scale, this upgraded map is designed to help you find the best locations for observing the night sky. Whether you’re an avid astro-nerd looking to push your telescope to its limits or simply someone who enjoys the tranquility of a star-filled night, this map is your gateway to darker skies and more brilliant celestial views.

How to Access the Light Pollution Map

Visit gaiagps.com on your desktop or open the iOS/Android app on your mobile device.
Locate the layers icon (left sidebar on desktop, bottom left corner on mobile).
Select “+ Add Map Layers” and search for “Light Pollution.”
Tap the ‘+’ icon to add the layer to your map.

Pro Tip: For optimal viewing, overlay the Light Pollution layer on our Gaia GPS Black and White map. This combination allows you to see the color scale of light pollution and essential map details.

Optimizing Your Stargazing Experience

The upcoming Perseid Meteor Shower presents a perfect opportunity to test our new map. While light pollution significantly affects the visibility of diffuse objects like comets and galaxies, you can still enjoy meteor showers even in moderately light-polluted areas (shown in red on our map).

For the best meteor-watching experience:

Aim for areas colored Green through Black on our Light Pollution scale.
Allow your eyes to adapt to the darkness for at least 20-30 minutes.
Consider additional factors such as moon phase, weather conditions, and cloud cover.

Remember, darker skies will reveal more meteors and enhance the overall spectacle of the shower.

Unlock the Full Potential with Gaia GPS Premium

The Light Pollution map layer is a premium feature available to Gaia GPS Premium and Outside+ members. Your subscription grants you access to our 300-plus map catalog, offline navigation, plus planning, recording, and sharing tools. Adventure safely with Gaia GPS Premium’s suite of weather features and safety tools including air quality, wildfire maps, and slope angle shading.

Elevate your stargazing adventures and outdoor experiences with Gaia GPS Premium. Start exploring darker skies and brighter stars today!

How it Works

Sourced from NASA satellite data, the map is based on light levels measured on cloudless nights between 2012 and 2016. Brightly colored areas represent places most affected by light pollution, and dark skies indicate those farthest from artificial light sources.

Because the result is an average of many measurements, this map is best used at higher zoom levels, to give you a general idea of how light pollution might affect the trips and campsites you’re considering.

The satellite imagery used to create this map was provided by services from the Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), which is operated by NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project.

Use the Light Pollution Map to Find Dark Skies

The Light Pollution Map is available to both iOS and Android users with Premium Memberships. Look for it in the Feature/Weather Overlays category of the map manager.

We recommend viewing the map at 100% opacity, then adjusting it to 60 to 70 percent to improve visibility of the underlying topo once you’ve narrowed in on a particular location.

Other Resources

The International Dark Sky Association is another great resource for finding hiking and camping spots with unobstructed stargazing. The IDA awards dark sky designations to places with “exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment.” You can view the full list of International Dark Sky Parks here. Then, use Gaia GPS Hike Search to find hikes in the places you want to visit.