To capture great astrophotos, start by finding a location with dark skies and high transparency.

Astronomers use the Bortle Scale to measure sky darkness. A lower number (e.g., Class 1-3) indicates pristine dark skies, perfect for astrophotography. A higher number (e.g., Class 8-9) means severe light pollution.

The Seestar App comes with a built-in light pollution map. Open the Seestar App and navigate to the "Nearby" page.

Tap the "LP Map" button on the right. Pan, zoom, and explore the map to see the light pollution levels (shown as a color overlay) for any location.

"The Bortle Dark-Sky Scale" is a system used to evaluate and describe sky brightness and visibility.

In the Seestar App, sky brightness is divided into nine classes - from heavy light pollution in city centers (Class 9) to extremely dark, remote areas with little to no artificial light (Class 1). Each Class indicates how many celestial objects and details can be seen under those conditions, making it easier to quickly assess stargazing environments.

Below are the nine Classes of the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: