Hull Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.60

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

29%

Dataset

August 2026

City sky

Hull: The Practical Verdict

Hull, a mid-sized city in Kingston upon Hull, suffers from high light pollution, severely impacting stargazing potential. The city's overall sky quality is poor, with the Milky Way not visible at all. Light pollution is significant enough that it dominates the urban sky with a Bortle class of 8.

In Hull, focus your telescopic sights on the Moon, planets, double stars, and bright stars, as these are the most reliably visible. Narrowband imaging is feasible, but visual deep-sky observing should be avoided due to the overwhelming brightness of the sky background.

For a serious night of deep-sky observation, travel is necessary. Little Snoring, about 130 km to the south-east, offers meaningfully darker skies with a better viewing experience and should be considered by avid astronomers seeking less light-polluted skies.

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

Little Snoring sits about 130 km south east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 17x darker.

Moderate dark window

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

No. Hull 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 Hull?

Hull is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.60), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Hull good for stargazing?

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

Is Hull good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Hull?

Primary targets from Hull 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 Hull?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Rise, about 11 km north east of Hull, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Hull?

The sky over Hull is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 80 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Hull getting better or worse?

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

• Rise

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  11.2

  SQM

  20.61

  Bortle

  5

• Ottringham

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  18

  SQM

  20.15

  Bortle

  6

• Sherburn

  Direction

  NNW

  Distance (km)

  45.6

  SQM

  21.09

  Bortle

  4

• West Keal

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  71.5

  SQM

  20.90

  Bortle

  4

• Little Snoring

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  130

  SQM

  21.66

  Bortle

  3

• Belton and Manthorpe

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  92.7

  SQM

  20.56

  Bortle

  5