Nottingham Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.21

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

25%

Dataset

April 2026

City sky

Nottingham: The Practical Verdict

Nottingham, a mid-size city in the East Midlands, is characterised by high urban light pollution. The overall stargazing quality from within the city is poor, with the Milky Way entirely absent and significant light interference from nearby areas such as Birmingham to the south-west.

Observing prospects focus on brighter targets such as the Moon, planets, and prominent double stars. Narrowband imaging can still produce reasonable results, though deep-sky attempts on fainter objects are heavily compromised. Visual astronomy of nebulae and galaxies is largely unfeasible due to the high sky brightness.

For serious deep-sky observation, heading eastwards to Beeston with Bittering, around 135 km away, offers a marked improvement. This site provides clearer conditions suitable for broader stargazing ambitions, with Bortle 4 skies significantly reducing light interference.

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

Beeston with Bittering sits about 137 km east and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 14x darker.

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 18.21, 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 18.21), 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 Gedling, about 6 km east north east of Nottingham, reaching Bortle 7.

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.

• Gedling

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  6

  SQM

  19.39

  Bortle

  7

• Edenham

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  50.8

  SQM

  20.76

  Bortle

  5

• Nocton

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  59.8

  SQM

  20.79

  Bortle

  5

• Desborough

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  59.5

  SQM

  20.02

  Bortle

  6

• Bielby

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  108.5

  SQM

  20.47

  Bortle

  5

• Beeston with Bittering

  Direction

  E

  Distance (km)

  136.8

  SQM

  21.11

  Bortle

  4