Pembroke Pines Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

17.67

Bortle class

Class 9 (Class 9)

Darkness Quotient

20%

Dataset

April 2026

Inner city sky

Pembroke Pines: The Practical Verdict

Pembroke Pines in Florida is a highly populated suburban area with extreme light pollution affecting the night sky. The overall sky quality here severely limits astronomical observations, with the Milky Way entirely obscured.

Bright objects like the Moon, planets, and easily noticeable stars are the main options for viewing. More ambitious targets such as bright nebulae or open clusters require careful selection, while faint deep-sky objects and meteor showers are nearly impossible to observe visually. Photography of nebulae in narrowband remains an option, although light gradients will challenge this too.

For those willing to travel for a better view, North Andros to the east-south-east offers significantly darker skies, providing higher clarity and accessibility to deeper celestial targets.

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

North Andros sits about 248 km east south east and reaches Bortle 2, roughly 43x darker.

Good dark window

Pembroke Pines'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 Pembroke Pines?

No. Pembroke Pines is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.67, 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 Pembroke Pines?

Pembroke Pines is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.67), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Pembroke Pines good for stargazing?

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

Is Pembroke Pines good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Pembroke Pines?

Primary targets from Pembroke Pines 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 Pembroke Pines?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Collier County, Florida, about 73 km west of Pembroke Pines, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Pembroke Pines?

The sky over Pembroke Pines is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Pembroke Pines getting better or worse?

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

• Collier County, Florida

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  73.1

  SQM

  20.56

  Bortle

  5

• Monroe County, Florida

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  95.7

  SQM

  20.54

  Bortle

  5

• West Grand Bahama

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  190

  SQM

  21.63

  Bortle

  3

• Glades County, Florida

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  135

  SQM

  20.12

  Bortle

  6

• East Grand Bahama

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  235.1

  SQM

  21.53

  Bortle

  3

• North Andros

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  248

  SQM

  21.76

  Bortle

  2