Carlisle Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Carlisle

City
Carlisle
Country
United Kingdom
Latitude
54.8951
Longitude
-2.9382

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
19.33
Bortle class
Class 7 (Class 7)
Darkness Quotient
37%
Dataset
May 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Carlisle: The Practical Verdict

Carlisle, a small city in Cumberland, offers a sky heavily compromised by high light pollution, limiting astronomical observations significantly. The suburban setting results in a poor urban/suburban sky quality, where the Milky Way is not visible at all. Overall, stargazing here is not ideal for deep-sky enthusiasts.

The celestial scene is dominated by targets like the Moon, planets, and bright double stars. Bright open clusters can also be observed, and narrowband imaging might capture emission nebulae with careful work. However, visual deep-sky observing and Milky Way photography should be avoided due to the bright sky.

For those seeking a better stargazing experience, travelling to Kelsick to the west-south-west, about 20 km from Carlisle, offers a darker sky with Bortle 3 quality, making it a worthwhile destination for dedicated observers.

At a Glance

Overall
Poor urban/suburban sky - This is a poor sky for astronomy. The Moon, planets, and a few bright objects remain viable, but deep-sky work is difficult.
Milky Way
Not visible - The Milky Way is not realistically visible from this level of light pollution.
Best targets from here
Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing
Do not prioritise
visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, Milky Way photography
Best nearby upgrade
Kelsick sits about 18 km west south west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 6.9x darker.
Moderate dark window
Carlisle's limiting factor is not only light pollution. Around midsummer, Carlisle 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 Carlisle?

No. Carlisle is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.33, 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 Carlisle?

Carlisle is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.33), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Carlisle good for stargazing?

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

Is Carlisle good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Carlisle and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Narrowband imaging of bright emission nebulae remains viable from Carlisle with appropriate Ha or OIII filters.

What can you observe from Carlisle?

Primary targets from Carlisle include Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Carlisle?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Kelsick, about 18 km west south west of Carlisle, reaching Bortle 3.

When is the sky darkest in Carlisle?

The sky over Carlisle is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 89 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Carlisle getting better or worse?

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

north - excellent

The north sky is dark to the horizon with no visible artificial brightening. Faint extended objects are accessible at low elevation.

north-north-east - excellent

No skyglow to the north-north-east. Stars are visible to the naked-eye limit at all elevations in this direction.

north-east - excellent

Fully dark sky to the north-east. This is among the cleaner directions from this site.

east-north-east - excellent

No skyglow to the east-north-east. Stars are visible to the naked-eye limit at all elevations in this direction.

east - excellent

The east sky is dark to the horizon with no visible artificial brightening. Faint extended objects are accessible at low elevation.

east-south-east - excellent

Fully dark sky to the east-south-east. This is among the cleaner directions from this site.

south-east - excellent

The south-east sky is dark to the horizon with no visible artificial brightening. Faint extended objects are accessible at low elevation.

south-south-east - excellent

No visible light pollution in the south-south-east direction. The Milky Way structure is visible into this quarter on transparent nights.

south - excellent

No visible light pollution in the south direction. The Milky Way structure is visible into this quarter on transparent nights.

south-south-west - excellent

Fully dark sky to the south-south-west. This is among the cleaner directions from this site.

south-west - excellent

No visible light pollution in the south-west direction. The Milky Way structure is visible into this quarter on transparent nights.

west-south-west - excellent

The west-south-west sky is dark to the horizon with no visible artificial brightening. Faint extended objects are accessible at low elevation.

west - excellent

No visible light pollution in the west direction. The Milky Way structure is visible into this quarter on transparent nights.

west-north-west - excellent

Fully dark sky to the west-north-west. This is among the cleaner directions from this site.

north-west - excellent

The north-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint stars and the Milky Way reach the ground in this direction on clear nights.

north-north-west - excellent

The north-north-west sky is dark to the horizon with no visible artificial brightening. Faint extended objects are accessible at low elevation.

zenith - fair

The overhead sky is moderately light-polluted. The Milky Way is not visible and faint stars are reduced in number.

  • Kelsick
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    17.5
    SQM
    21.42
    Bortle
    3
  • Watendlath
    Direction
    SSW
    Distance (km)
    39.4
    SQM
    21.50
    Bortle
    3
  • B711
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    57.5
    SQM
    21.41
    Bortle
    3
  • Sandysike Rigg
    Direction
    ENE
    Distance (km)
    53.9
    SQM
    21.26
    Bortle
    4
  • Spittal on Rule
    Direction
    NNE
    Distance (km)
    64.7
    SQM
    21.57
    Bortle
    3
  • Portpatrick Railway
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    80.2
    SQM
    21.63
    Bortle
    3