Bury Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.60

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

29%

Dataset

May 2026

City sky

Bury: The Practical Verdict

Bury is a small city in Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, with suburban surroundings. The conditions for astronomy here are quite poor due to high light pollution that greatly diminishes the night sky. Unfortunately, this means that Bury is not ideal for deep-sky observations, and the Milky Way is not visible at all from within the city.

For those stargazing from Bury, observing opportunities are largely limited to the Moon, planets, and bright stars, along with double stars and solar system events. Narrowband imaging may still be possible for the brightest nebulae if done with care, but broad deep-sky or widefield imaging will struggle against the bright urban backdrop.

For a more rewarding experience, consider travelling to Outgate, approximately 100 km to the north-north-west. Here, the sky is significantly darker, providing a far better setting for serious observations, particularly of deep-sky objects.

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

Outgate sits about 99 km north north west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 8.3x 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 18.60, 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 18.60), 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 Bretton, about 50 km south east 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 79 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.

• Bretton

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  50.1

  SQM

  19.98

  Bortle

  6

• Outgate

  Direction

  NNW

  Distance (km)

  98.8

  SQM

  20.90

  Bortle

  4

• Lillings Ambo

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  101

  SQM

  20.36

  Bortle

  5

• Capel-y-graig

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  130.5

  SQM

  20.69

  Bortle

  5

• West Blackdene

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  128.8

  SQM

  20.61

  Bortle

  5

• Ysbyty Ystwyth

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  173.9

  SQM

  21.17

  Bortle

  4