Bury Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.57

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

28%

Dataset

August 2026

City sky

Bury: The Practical Verdict

Bury, a small city in the United Kingdom near Manchester, experiences significant light pollution. The observing quality here is decisively limited, as indicated by its "Poor city sky" classification, leaving the Milky Way invisible and severely constraining stargazing opportunities. The primary limiting factor is its position in the high light pollution tier, with significant interference from urban lighting.

Under these conditions, practical observation in Bury is best confined to bright targets like the Moon, planets, and prominent stars. Double stars and solar system events remain visible, while narrowband imaging requires cautious control of light interference. Deep-sky observations, most meteor showers, and faint nebulae are impractical here.

For those seeking a more rewarding experience, heading toward a site like the location 163 km west north-west offers a substantial improvement, where the skies are classed as Bortle 2. This is the best nearby upgrade for those committed to deep-sky observations.

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

163 km WNW sits about 163 km west north west and reaches Bortle 2, roughly 18x darker.

Moderate dark window

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

No. Bury is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.57, 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 Bury?

Bury is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.57), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Bury good for stargazing?

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

Is Bury good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Bury?

Primary targets from Bury 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 Bury?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is 28 km W, about 28 km west of Bury, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Bury?

The sky over Bury is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 78 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Bury getting better or worse?

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

• 28 km W

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  28

  SQM

  19.93

  Bortle

  6

• 56 km S

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  55.5

  SQM

  20.06

  Bortle

  6

• 101 km ENE

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  101.1

  SQM

  20.39

  Bortle

  5

• 163 km WNW

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  162.9

  SQM

  21.70

  Bortle

  2

• 125 km ENE

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  125

  SQM

  20.69

  Bortle

  5

• 147 km NNW

  Direction

  NNW

  Distance (km)

  147

  SQM

  21.05

  Bortle

  4