Blackpool Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.81

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

31%

Dataset

May 2026

City sky

Blackpool: The Practical Verdict

Blackpool, a small city in the Borough of Blackpool, suffers from significant light pollution, resulting in a poor city sky for astronomical viewing. The overall quality is hampered by urban brightness, with the Milky Way entirely erased from view. Observing conditions are dominated by light pollution, particularly from the east south east horizon.

In these suburban conditions, stargazers should focus on the Moon, planets, bright stars, and double stars, alongside narrowband imaging with care. While bright open clusters might be possible, deep-sky observing and viewing faint nebulae is not recommended.

For those willing to travel, Braddan offers a substantial upgrade. Located west north west, around 110 kilometres away, Braddan boasts much darker skies that are better suited for serious 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

Braddan sits about 108 km west north west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 13x darker.

Moderate dark window

Blackpool's limiting factor is not only light pollution. Around midsummer, Blackpool 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 Blackpool?

No. Blackpool is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.81, 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 Blackpool?

Blackpool is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.81), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Blackpool good for stargazing?

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

Is Blackpool good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Blackpool?

Primary targets from Blackpool 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 Blackpool?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Broadwater, about 8 km east north east of Blackpool, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Blackpool?

The sky over Blackpool is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 80 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Blackpool getting better or worse?

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

• Broadwater

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  7.5

  SQM

  19.68

  Bortle

  6

• Braddan

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  108.3

  SQM

  21.62

  Bortle

  3

• Pontrug

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  109.3

  SQM

  21.41

  Bortle

  3

• Hawes

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  71.9

  SQM

  20.45

  Bortle

  5

• Ripley

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  99.4

  SQM

  20.63

  Bortle

  5

• Dumblar Rigg

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  139.3

  SQM

  20.98

  Bortle

  4