About Stargaze Atlas
Stargaze Atlas is an independent data project that turns public satellite and space-weather data into a fast, free answer to "where can I stargaze, and can I tonight?" Every darkness rating traces to a named public-domain source, the method behind each number is documented, and nothing on the site is sponsored or pay-to-rank. It exists because light-pollution data otherwise lives in raster files and academic archives, with no simple per-town view of how dark your sky is and where darker skies are nearby.
What this site is
Stargaze Atlas is an independent data project that answers a simple question — "where can I stargaze, and can I tonight?" — for thousands of U.S. towns, using only public data. It is not affiliated with any observatory, brand, or agency, and nothing on it is sponsored or pay-to-rank.
How it's built
Each town's darkness rating is measured from VIIRS satellite night-lights and mapped to an estimated Bortle band; the live "tonight" panel reads Moon, cloud, and aurora data from public NOAA and Open-Meteo services in your browser. Every number traces to a named, public-domain or openly-licensed source, and the method — including its limits — is spelled out on the methodology page.
Why it exists
Light-pollution data lives in raster files and academic archives, and “can I see the stars tonight?” usually means juggling a light-pollution map, a Moon calendar, and a weather app. This site puts those together, per town, for free — and always tells you where darker skies are within driving distance.
An honest tool
The darkness rating is a satellite proxy, not a survey-grade measurement, and the darkest skies are usually just outside of town — we say so on every page rather than overstate what a satellite can see. Corrections are welcome and are the priority; see the contact page.