Loughborough Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

19.15

Bortle class

Class 7 (Class 7)

Darkness Quotient

35%

Dataset

July 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Loughborough: The Practical Verdict

Loughborough is a small city in Leicestershire, bridging an urban and suburban setting. The overall quality of the night sky here is poor due to high light pollution levels, with the Milky Way not visible. The proximity to Leicester has a noticeable impact on the sky brightness, particularly towards the south south-east, which is the brightest.

From Loughborough, observers can make the most of brighter targets. The Moon, planets, bright double stars, and bright open clusters are the best bet. Narrowband imaging can also be fruitful if handled with careful processing. However, broad deep-sky observation is impractical, with most deep-sky targets better avoided due to the brightness.

For those seeking darker skies, a trip of around 120 km east to Gayton would be worthwhile, offering a significantly improved setting for deep-sky observing.

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

Gayton sits about 120 km east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 6.5x darker.

Moderate dark window

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

No. Loughborough is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.15, 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 Loughborough?

Loughborough is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.15), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Loughborough good for stargazing?

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

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

What can you observe from Loughborough?

Primary targets from Loughborough 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 Loughborough?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Corby Birkholme, about 39 km east of Loughborough, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Loughborough?

The sky over Loughborough is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 72 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Loughborough getting better or worse?

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

• Corby Birkholme

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  39.1

  SQM

  20.75

  Bortle

  5

• Gotham

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  9.3

  SQM

  19.76

  Bortle

  6

• Thurlaston

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  19.6

  SQM

  19.91

  Bortle

  6

• Temple Bruer with Temple High Grange

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  60.9

  SQM

  20.75

  Bortle

  5

• Gayton

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  119.6

  SQM

  21.18

  Bortle

  4