Liverpool Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Liverpool
- City
- Liverpool
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Latitude
- 53.4084
- Longitude
- -2.9916
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 17.81
- Bortle class
- Class 9 (Class 9)
- Darkness Quotient
- 21%
- Dataset
- April 2026
Inner city sky
Liverpool: The Practical Verdict
Liverpool, a mid-sized city in the Liverpool City Region, faces significant urban light pollution, leading to a severe impact on astronomical quality. The sky here is a Bortle 9 inner city sky, where the Milky Way remains entirely invisible, and broad-sky stargazing possibilities are sharply limited.
From this heavily light-polluted site, observing is most productive when centred on the Moon, the planets, and double stars, as these remain visible even under such compromised conditions. Imaging with narrowband filters can yield results with care, though broadband imaging and visual deep-sky observations are largely ineffective here.
For those seeking a more rewarding sky, Ballaskella, a much darker site around a 135 km drive to the north-west, offers an SQM of 21.55 and a Bortle 3 classification, suitable for deeper astronomical pursuits.
At a Glance
- Overall
- Severe urban sky - This is a severely light-polluted urban sky. Only the Moon, planets, bright stars, and a few specialist targets remain practical.
- Milky Way
- Not visible - The Milky Way is not visible from this sky.
- 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
- Ballaskella sits about 137 km north west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 31x darker.
- Moderate dark window
- Liverpool's limiting factor is not only light pollution. Around midsummer, Liverpool 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 Liverpool?
No. Liverpool is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.81, 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 Liverpool?
Liverpool is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.81), a severe urban sky for astronomy.
Is Liverpool good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Liverpool is a severe urban sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Liverpool good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Liverpool and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Liverpool without careful processing.
What can you observe from Liverpool?
Primary targets from Liverpool 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 Liverpool?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Moss Side, about 36 km south east of Liverpool, reaching Bortle 6.
When is the sky darkest in Liverpool?
The sky over Liverpool is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 77 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.
Is light pollution in Liverpool getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Liverpool has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - good
No noticeable light pollution to the north. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
north-north-east - fair
Faint glow on the north-north-east horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
north-east - fair
A trace of skyglow near the north-east horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
east-north-east - fair
The east-north-east sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
east - fair
The east sky is broadly dark with a small amount of glow at the horizon. Most objects in this direction are accessible.
east-south-east - marginal
Noticeable glow on the east-south-east horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
south-east - fair
Light glow detectable on the south-east horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
south-south-east - marginal
A diffuse glow sits on the south-south-east horizon. Faint objects below 20 degrees in this direction are compromised.
south - fair
Light glow detectable on the south horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
south-south-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the south-south-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
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 sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
west-north-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the west-north-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
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 - good
The north-north-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
zenith - poor
The zenith is bright enough to be obvious without dark adaptation. The Milky Way is not visible.
-
Moss Side
- Direction
- SE
- Distance (km)
- 35.8
- SQM
- 19.83
- Bortle
- 6
-
Rhos
- Direction
- WSW
- Distance (km)
- 68.7
- SQM
- 20.46
- Bortle
- 5
-
Moneystone
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 84.4
- SQM
- 20.07
- Bortle
- 6
-
Ballaskella
- Direction
- NW
- Distance (km)
- 137.3
- SQM
- 21.55
- Bortle
- 3
-
Pontarfynach
- Direction
- SSW
- Distance (km)
- 124.1
- SQM
- 20.71
- Bortle
- 5
-
Skelton-on-Ure
- Direction
- NE
- Distance (km)
- 129.7
- SQM
- 20.25
- Bortle
- 6