Lincoln Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

19.00

Bortle class

Class 7 (Class 7)

Darkness Quotient

33%

Dataset

April 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Lincoln: The Practical Verdict

Lincoln, a small city in Lincolnshire, offers limited stargazing opportunities due to its suburban light pollution. The skies here are classed as Bortle 7, with high light pollution making the Milky Way non-visible and significantly limiting observational clarity.

Bright targets such as the Moon, major planets, bright double stars, and open clusters remain reasonable choices. However, low-surface-brightness objects like galaxies, reflection nebulae, and meteor studies should be avoided due to the overwhelming urban light influence.

For meaningful improvement, Far Thorpe — about 30 km east — offers considerably darker skies rated at Bortle 4. Such locations enable much better conditions for deep-sky observing and astrophotography.

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

Far Thorpe sits about 30 km east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 7.5x darker.

Moderate dark window

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

No. Lincoln 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 Lincoln?

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

Is Lincoln good for stargazing?

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

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

What can you observe from Lincoln?

Primary targets from Lincoln 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 Lincoln?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Fenton, about 22 km west north west of Lincoln, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Lincoln?

The sky over Lincoln is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 75 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Lincoln getting better or worse?

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

• Far Thorpe

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  29.6

  SQM

  21.19

  Bortle

  4

• North Kyme

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  24.6

  SQM

  20.82

  Bortle

  4

• Ludford

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  28.4

  SQM

  20.83

  Bortle

  4

• Fenton

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  21.5

  SQM

  20.30

  Bortle

  5

• Norton, Cuckney, Holbeck and Welbeck

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  39.4

  SQM

  20.28

  Bortle

  6

• Cherry Burton

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  67.8

  SQM

  20.65

  Bortle

  5