OUR MISSION
Helping you find the perfect night sky while protecting our darkness for generations.
THE DARKEST HOUR STORY
Back in 2023, after a failed attempt to photograph the Milky Way due to outdated light pollution maps, we realized there wasn't a truly real-time tool for modern stargazers. Most existing maps were static, based on data years old, and didn't account for current weather or astronomical events.
We built Darkest Hour to be the tool we always wanted. A live, breathing map that combines the latest satellite data with precise meteorological forecasts.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Preservation
Promoting the preservation of dark sky environments for future generations.
Accessibility
Making the night sky accessible to everyone, regardless of technical expertise.
Data Accuracy
Providing the most accurate, real-time data from authoritative sources.
The Expertise
Darkest Hour is maintained by a small team of dedicated amateur astronomers and geospatial software engineers. We combine decades of experience in visual observing with professional expertise in processing large-scale satellite datasets.
Our goal is to translate complex raw data into actionable insights for the stargazing community, ensuring that everyone from casual observers to professional astrophotographers can find the perfect sky.
Our Standards
- Daily Satellite Audits: We cross-reference NASA VIIRS data with recent ground-based SQM (Sky Quality Meter) readings.
- Precision Forecasting: Our algorithms weigh 14 different meteorological variables to calculate real-time "Seeing" and "Transparency".
- Open Data Commitment: We rely exclusively on peer-reviewed data sources and open-standard mapping frameworks.
Our Data Sources
Transparency is core to our mission. We aggregate data from the world's leading scientific organizations:
NASA VIIRS
High-resolution nighttime satellite imagery for light pollution mapping.
Open-Meteo
Precision astronomical weather forecasting including seeing and transparency.
OpenStreetMap
Crowd-sourced mapping data for accurate location search and navigation.
CartoDB
Advanced geospatial engine for rendering high-performance map tiles.
Get in Touch
Have questions, suggestions, or just want to share your latest night sky photo? We'd love to hear from you.