Gloucester Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Gloucester

City
Gloucester
Country
United Kingdom
Latitude
51.8642
Longitude
-2.2380

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
19.00
Bortle class
Class 7 (Class 7)
Darkness Quotient
33%
Dataset
July 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Gloucester: The Practical Verdict

Gloucester, a small city in Gloucestershire, experiences significant high light pollution, which affects its stargazing potential. The overall quality for astronomy here is poor, with the urban sky masking finer celestial details. The most prominent limitation in Gloucester is the inability to see the Milky Way due to the pervasive light pollution.

Despite the challenges, some celestial observing can still be enjoyed. The Moon, planets, bright double stars, and open clusters remain accessible from within the city. Narrowband imaging of bright emission nebulae is feasible with meticulous post-processing, though broader deep-sky work is discouraged due to the glow from surrounding lights.

For those seeking deeper sky observations, Llancowrid to the north-west offers a significantly darker sky. It is approximately a 95 km drive, providing a substantial improvement for more serious astronomical pursuits.

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
Llancowrid sits about 96 km north west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 9.5x darker.
Moderate dark window
Gloucester's limiting factor is not only light pollution. Around midsummer, Gloucester 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 Gloucester?

No. Gloucester is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.00, 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 Gloucester?

Gloucester is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.00), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Gloucester good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Gloucester 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 Gloucester good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Gloucester?

Primary targets from Gloucester 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 Gloucester?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Twyn-y-Sheriff, about 43 km west south west of Gloucester, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Gloucester?

The sky over Gloucester is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 63 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Gloucester getting better or worse?

There is not yet enough long-term data to give a confident trend for Gloucester.

north - excellent

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

north-north-east - good

No visible glow on the north-north-east horizon. Stars are clear down to low elevation in this direction.

north-east - good

The north-east horizon is free of artificial brightening. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground.

east-north-east - good

No visible glow on the east-north-east horizon. Stars are clear down to low elevation in this direction.

east - good

No visible glow on the east horizon. Stars are clear down to low elevation in this direction.

east-south-east - good

The east-south-east sky shows no obvious glow at ground level. Faint stars are clear at low elevation.

south-east - excellent

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

south-south-east - good

Clean, dark sky to the south-south-east. No visible artificial light source affects this quarter.

south - good

No visible glow on the south horizon. Stars are clear down to low elevation in this direction.

south-south-west - good

No visible glow on the south-south-west horizon. Stars are clear down to low elevation in this direction.

south-west - good

Clean horizon to the south-west. Star counts remain high near the ground.

west-south-west - good

Clean, dark sky to the west-south-west. No visible artificial light source affects this quarter.

west - good

Clean horizon to the west. Star counts remain high near the ground.

west-north-west - excellent

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

north-west - excellent

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

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 background is somewhat elevated. Faint stars are partially suppressed but bright targets are clear.

  • Twyn-y-Sheriff
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    42.9
    SQM
    20.66
    Bortle
    5
  • Great Bedwyn
    Direction
    SE
    Distance (km)
    68.2
    SQM
    20.77
    Bortle
    5
  • Hanborough
    Direction
    E
    Distance (km)
    59.4
    SQM
    20.55
    Bortle
    5
  • Trallong
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    90.9
    SQM
    21.35
    Bortle
    3
  • Llancowrid
    Direction
    NW
    Distance (km)
    95.6
    SQM
    21.45
    Bortle
    3
  • Longbridge Deverill
    Direction
    S
    Distance (km)
    76.5
    SQM
    20.93
    Bortle
    4