Leicester Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Leicester
- City
- Leicester
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Latitude
- 52.6369
- Longitude
- -1.1398
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 18.42
- Bortle class
- Class 8 (Class 8)
- Darkness Quotient
- 27%
- Dataset
- April 2026
City sky
Leicester: The Practical Verdict
Leicester, a mid-size city in the Midlands, offers a challenging environment for stargazing due to significant light pollution levels. With skies classified as Bortle 8, the visibility of the Milky Way is entirely erased, and the city sky is notably bright across all horizons.
For observing in Leicester itself, the most practical targets include the Moon, planets, and bright stars, making it suitable for urban astronomy focussed on these objects. Attempting deep-sky observation or widefield imaging is largely futile, as faint nebulae and broadband galaxies are nearly obliterated by the sky glow. Narrowband imaging with care may yield some of the brighter nebulae.
A meaningful upgrade in observing conditions can be found by travelling east to Swaffham, a distance of about 120 km. There, skies are measured at Bortle 4, providing significantly darker views suitable for broad deep-sky observing and imaging.
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
- Swaffham sits about 121 km east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 10x darker.
- Moderate dark window
- Leicester's limiting factor is not only light pollution. Around midsummer, Leicester 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 Leicester?
No. Leicester is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.42, 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 Leicester?
Leicester is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.42), a poor city sky for astronomy.
Is Leicester good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Leicester is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Leicester good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Leicester and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Leicester without careful processing.
What can you observe from Leicester?
Primary targets from Leicester 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 Leicester?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Oxton CP, about 48 km east south east of Leicester, reaching Bortle 6.
When is the sky darkest in Leicester?
The sky over Leicester is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 70 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.
Is light pollution in Leicester getting better or worse?
The long-term trend for Leicester is gradually improving, with the sky darkening by about 0.05 SQM per year.
north - good
Dark sky in the north direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
north-north-east - good
Dark sky in the north-north-east direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
north-east - good
The north-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
east-north-east - good
The east-north-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
east - good
The east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
east-south-east - good
Dark horizon to the east-south-east. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
south-east - good
Dark horizon to the south-east. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
south-south-east - good
The south-south-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
south - good
No noticeable light pollution to the south. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
south-south-west - good
Dark sky in the south-south-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south-west - good
The south-west horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
west-south-west - good
The west-south-west horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
west - good
The west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
west-north-west - fair
Light glow detectable on the west-north-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
north-west - good
Dark sky in the north-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
north-north-west - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the north-north-west horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
zenith - marginal
The zenith sky is clearly elevated above natural levels. Limiting magnitude is around 3.5.
-
Branston Booths
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 79.4
- SQM
- 20.62
- Bortle
- 5
-
Oxton CP
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 48
- SQM
- 19.79
- Bortle
- 6
-
Hartington Town Quarter CP
- Direction
- NW
- Distance (km)
- 68.7
- SQM
- 20.18
- Bortle
- 6
-
Swaffham
- Direction
- E
- Distance (km)
- 121
- SQM
- 20.97
- Bortle
- 4
-
Haslingfield
- Direction
- SE
- Distance (km)
- 98.7
- SQM
- 20.39
- Bortle
- 5
-
Hampstead Marshall
- Direction
- S
- Distance (km)
- 138.9
- SQM
- 20.60
- Bortle
- 5