Hereford Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Hereford

City
Hereford
Country
United Kingdom
Latitude
52.0567
Longitude
-2.7160

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
19.26
Bortle class
Class 7 (Class 7)
Darkness Quotient
36%
Dataset
May 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Hereford: The Practical Verdict

Hereford, a small city in Herefordshire, suffers from high light pollution typical of suburban areas. Stargazing quality here is categorised as poor, mainly due to the urban/suburban sky. The brightness from the local area, especially towards the south-west, limits the visibility of fainter astronomical objects.

From Hereford, the Moon, prominent planets, bright double stars, and open clusters remain visible. However, deep-sky visual observations and Milky Way photography are largely inaccessible here due to the sky's brightness. There is potential for narrowband imaging with careful processing, allowing some bright nebulae to be captured, although the Milky Way is not visible.

For more serious astronomical pursuits, Gaufron to the west north-west offers a Bortle 3 sky and represents a significant upgrade. Travelling to this location from Hereford will enhance the visibility of deep-sky objects, thanks to its comparatively darker skies.

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
Gaufron sits about 54 km west north west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 8.8x darker.
Moderate dark window
Hereford's limiting factor is not only light pollution. Around midsummer, Hereford 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 Hereford?

No. Hereford is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.26, 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 Hereford?

Hereford is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.26), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Hereford good for stargazing?

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

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

What can you observe from Hereford?

Primary targets from Hereford 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 Hereford?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Overmonnow, about 26 km south of Hereford, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Hereford?

The sky over Hereford is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 65 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Hereford getting better or worse?

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

north - excellent

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

north-north-east - excellent

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

north-east - excellent

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

east-north-east - excellent

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

east - excellent

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

east-south-east - excellent

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

south-east - excellent

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

south-south-east - excellent

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

south - excellent

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

south-south-west - excellent

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

south-west - good

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

west-south-west - excellent

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

west - excellent

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

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

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

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

zenith - fair

The zenith sky is workable but lacks depth. Major constellations are intact; faint stars between them are thinned.

  • Overmonnow
    Direction
    S
    Distance (km)
    25.8
    SQM
    20.71
    Bortle
    5
  • Gaufron
    Direction
    WNW
    Distance (km)
    53.9
    SQM
    21.62
    Bortle
    3
  • Halfway
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    71.7
    SQM
    21.51
    Bortle
    3
  • Melin-y-ddol
    Direction
    NNW
    Distance (km)
    79.7
    SQM
    21.37
    Bortle
    3
  • Church Preen
    Direction
    ENE
    Distance (km)
    57.7
    SQM
    20.69
    Bortle
    5
  • Cotmarsh
    Direction
    SE
    Distance (km)
    84.4
    SQM
    20.71
    Bortle
    5