Nottingham Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.34

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

26%

Dataset

August 2026

City sky

Nottingham: The Practical Verdict

Nottingham, located in Nottinghamshire, is a mid-sized city where stargazing presents challenges. The overall sky quality for astronomical observation is poor, with intense urban illumination obscuring many celestial objects. The brightness of the city sky significantly affects visibility, making it a less favourable location for dark-sky pursuits.

In Nottingham, the Milky Way is completely obscured by the bright city lights. Observers will find the Moon, planets, and the brighter stars as the most accessible targets. Activities like narrowband imaging can still be pursued but with caution due to the strong illumination, while deep-sky observations are largely impractical.

While slight improvements can be found nearby, such as at Tickencote about 50 km east-south-east, the sky quality there offers only a modest upgrade. True dark-sky conditions require a considerably longer distance.

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

Limited nearby upgrade

Tickencote is the strongest nearby option but remains Bortle 5; the improvement is real but modest.

Moderate dark window

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

No. Nottingham is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.34, 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 Nottingham?

Nottingham is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.34), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Nottingham good for stargazing?

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

Is Nottingham good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Nottingham?

Primary targets from Nottingham 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 Nottingham?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Tissington and Lea Hall CP, about 39 km west north west of Nottingham, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Nottingham?

The sky over Nottingham is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 73 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Nottingham getting better or worse?

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

• Tickencote

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  50.9

  SQM

  20.53

  Bortle

  5

• Tissington and Lea Hall CP

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  39.1

  SQM

  19.90

  Bortle

  6

• Martin Dales

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  63.9

  SQM

  20.61

  Bortle

  5

• Marchington

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  44.9

  SQM

  19.93

  Bortle

  6

• Everingham

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  104.5

  SQM

  20.47

  Bortle

  5

• Saddleworth

  Direction

  NW

  Distance (km)

  84.4

  SQM

  20.03

  Bortle

  6