Blackburn Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Blackburn
- City
- Blackburn
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Latitude
- 53.7480
- Longitude
- -2.4850
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 18.88
- Bortle class
- Class 8 (Class 8)
- Darkness Quotient
- 32%
- Dataset
- April 2026
City sky
Blackburn: The Practical Verdict
As a small city in the Blackburn with Darwen region, Blackburn bears the effects of high light pollution, rated with a Bortle 8 sky. Stargazing directly from within the city is significantly limited by the urban light dome.
The Milky Way is completely erased from visibility here due to this brightness, and deep-sky objects fare no better. The most viable targets include the Moon, bright planets, and double stars. Narrowband imaging could work with care, but faint nebulae and broadband galaxies won't yield good results.
For darker skies, one recommended upgrade is a trip to Crossgill Head to the south, around 110 km away. This spot offers substantially darker skies suitable for deep-sky exploration.
At a Glance
- Overall
- Poor city sky - This is a poor city sky. The Milky Way is not visible and most deep-sky observing is unrealistic from the location itself.
- Milky Way
- Not visible - The Milky Way is erased by the bright urban sky background.
- 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
- Crossgill Head sits about 108 km south and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 9.5x darker.
- Moderate dark window
- Blackburn's limiting factor is not only light pollution. Around midsummer, Blackburn loses true astronomical darkness entirely, so deep-sky observing and imaging are strongly seasonal. Plan serious sessions around the darker months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see the Milky Way from Blackburn?
No. Blackburn is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.88, 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 Blackburn?
Blackburn is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.88), a poor city sky for astronomy.
Is Blackburn good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Blackburn is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Blackburn good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Blackburn and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Blackburn without careful processing.
What can you observe from Blackburn?
Primary targets from Blackburn 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 Blackburn?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Bleasdale, about 19 km north west of Blackburn, reaching Bortle 5.
When is the sky darkest in Blackburn?
The sky over Blackburn is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 79 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.
Is light pollution in Blackburn getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Blackburn has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - good
The north sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
north-north-east - good
No noticeable light pollution to the north-north-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
north-east - good
The north-east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
east-north-east - fair
Faint glow on the east-north-east horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
east - good
The east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
east-south-east - good
No noticeable light pollution to the east-south-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
south-east - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the south-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
south-south-east - fair
Faint glow on the south-south-east horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
south - good
Dark sky in the south direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south-south-west - good
The south-south-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
south-west - fair
Light glow detectable on the south-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
west-south-west - fair
A trace of skyglow near the west-south-west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
west - fair
A trace of skyglow near the west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
west-north-west - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the west-north-west horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
north-west - good
The north-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
north-north-west - good
Dark horizon to the north-north-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
zenith - marginal
The zenith is brighter than natural. The Milky Way cannot be seen and faint deep-sky objects are not accessible.
-
Bleasdale
- Direction
- NW
- Distance (km)
- 19
- SQM
- 20.64
- Bortle
- 5
-
Trough Gate
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 20.2
- SQM
- 20.08
- Bortle
- 6
-
Lathom
- Direction
- WSW
- Distance (km)
- 25.5
- SQM
- 19.90
- Bortle
- 6
-
The Pike
- Direction
- NW
- Distance (km)
- 84.3
- SQM
- 20.86
- Bortle
- 4
-
Crossgill Head
- Direction
- S
- Distance (km)
- 108.3
- SQM
- 21.33
- Bortle
- 3
-
Cwm Gwern Gof
- Direction
- WSW
- Distance (km)
- 122.5
- SQM
- 21.38
- Bortle
- 3