Panoche Pass Dark Site Maps and Site Information
Site Location N 36.6594667 W 121.0297167
Site Location Magnetic Declination (12/1/13) = 13.4 deg E moving W at 0.1 deg per year
Calif Light Pollution Map
| Color | Artificial / Natural Sky Brightness | Sky Brightness mags / sq arcsec V Band |
Bortle Scale approx |
Description |
| < 0.01 | 22.00 to 21.99 | 1 | ||
| 0.01 to 0.11 | 21.99 to 21.89 | 2 | Faint shadows cast by Milky Way visible on white objects. Clouds are black holes in the sky. No light domes. Milky Way has faint extentions making it 50 degrees thick. Limiting magnitude 7.1 to 7.5. | |
| 0.11 to 0.33 | 21.89 to 21.69 | 3 | Low light domes (10 to 15 degrees) on horizon. M33 easy with averted vision. M15 is naked eye. Milky Way shows bulge into Ophiuchus. Limiting magnitude 6.6 to 7.0. | |
| 0.33 to 1.0 | 21.69 to 21.25 | 4 | Zodiacal light seen on best nights. Milky Way shows dark lane structure & faint bulge into Ophiuchus. M33 difficult even when above 50 degrees. Limiting magnitude about 6.2 to 6.5. | |
| 1.0 to 3.0 | 21.25 to 20.49 | 4.5 | Some dark lanes in Milky Way but no bulge into Ophiuchus. Zodiacal light very rare. Light domes up to 45 degrees. Limiting magnitude about 5.9 to 6.2. | |
| 3.0 to 9.0 | 20.49 to 19.50 | 5 | Milky Way washed out at zenith and invisible at horizon. Many light domes. Clouds are brighter than sky. M31 easily visible. Limiting magnitude about 5.6 to 5.9. | |
| 9.0 to 27.0 | 19.50 to 18.38 | 6 or 7 | Milky Way at best very faint at zenith. M31 difficult and indistinct. Sky is grey up to 35 degrees. Limiting magnitude 5.0 to 5.5. | |
| >27.0 | <18.38 | 8 or 9 | Entire sky is grayish or brighter. Limiting magntude from 3 to 4. Most people don't look up. |