Light Pollution Map
Light Pollution in South Florida
See how artificial light shapes the region at night—from the metropolitan coastlines to less developed interior and protected areas.
What the map shows
Light-pollution maps combine observations and modeled data to visualize nighttime brightness and skyglow. Brighter colors generally indicate more artificial light; darker colors indicate less. The result is a regional view, not a measurement of any single fixture or property.
You do not need to understand the Bortle Scale, satellite instruments, or sky-quality meters to begin. Start by comparing places you know.
Map and visualization: Jurij Stare, www.lightpollutionmap.info. Satellite nighttime-light layers may use NASA Black Marble products. Base-map and active-layer attribution remain visible inside the interactive map.
Explore the full interactive mapReading the map
A guide to the colors
The map offers multiple data layers, each with its own legend and date. The descriptions here explain the commonly used World Atlas-style progression in plain language. Always use the live legend for the layer you select.
- White
The brightest urban skyglow on the commonly used World Atlas color scale.
- Red / orange
Very bright skies associated with dense development.
- Yellow
Bright suburban conditions.
- Green
A transition between suburban and rural skies.
- Blue
Darker rural skies and the transition toward remote areas.
- Gray / black
The darkest and most remote conditions on this scale.
How to use it
Explore the map
Use the map for local awareness—not only to look for stargazing locations.
- 01
Search an area
Enter a place name or coordinates using the map search.
- 02
Zoom into your community
Move from the statewide pattern to streets, neighborhoods, parks, and nearby horizons.
- 03
Compare places
Look at developed areas alongside rural and protected landscapes.
- 04
Explore the glow
Use the map to ask where light may be traveling beyond the place it is needed.
South Florida context
Development and darkness share a boundary.
On the map, the urban corridor through Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach appears in strong contrast with interior and protected landscapes. The southwest coast around Naples adds another major source of regional glow.
Big Cypress National Preserve sits between metropolitan areas on both coasts. DarkSky International notes that its night sky is still affected by light from the Miami and Naples–Fort Myers regions, even as the preserve protects important dark territory.
The Florida Keys, Everglades, Biscayne, coastal communities, neighborhoods, and municipalities each raise different lighting questions. The map is a starting point for looking closely—not a substitute for local measurements or site-specific research.
Source: DarkSky International’s Big Cypress profileWhat can I do?