Plymouth Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Plymouth

City
Plymouth
Country
United Kingdom
Latitude
50.3755
Longitude
-4.1427

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
18.81
Bortle class
Class 8 (Class 8)
Darkness Quotient
31%
Dataset
August 2026

City sky

Plymouth: The Practical Verdict

Plymouth, a mid-size city in the south-western part of England, sees substantial light pollution. Stargazing here is limited, as the urban sky tends to obscure all but the brightest celestial objects. Unfortunately, the presence of a deep light dome means that meaningful observations of faint or distant astronomical targets are severely restricted.

In such conditions, stargazers in Plymouth are best served by focusing on bright targets like the Moon, planets, and prominent stars. These can still be observed effectively, even against the city's bright background. For those keen on astrophotography, narrowband imaging remains an option, albeit needing cautious adjustments against gradients caused by the sky's bright backdrop.

For those looking to enhance their viewing experience, heading north-north-west approximately 35 km to St. Thomas the Apostle Rural is a recommended choice. This site offers Bortle 3 conditions and a notably darker sky, making it a worthwhile destination for serious deep-sky observation.

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
St. Thomas the Apostle Rural sits about 33 km north north west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 11x darker.
Moderate dark window
Plymouth's longest dark windows fall in December and January, with the shortest nights around June and July. Plan deep-sky sessions around the autumn and winter months for the best combination of long nights and true astronomical darkness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Plymouth?

No. Plymouth is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.81, 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 Plymouth?

Plymouth is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.81), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Plymouth good for stargazing?

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

Is Plymouth good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Plymouth?

Primary targets from Plymouth 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 Plymouth?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Talland Bay, about 19 km west south west of Plymouth, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Plymouth?

The sky over Plymouth is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 46 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Plymouth getting better or worse?

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

north - excellent

Clean, fully dark horizon to the north. Star counts remain high right down to the ground.

north-north-east - excellent

Dark sky to the north-north-east horizon. The Milky Way can be traced to the ground in this direction.

north-east - excellent

Clean, fully dark horizon to the north-east. Star counts remain high right down to the ground.

east-north-east - excellent

The east-north-east horizon is dark to the unaided eye. Faint stars are visible at the lowest elevations.

east - good

Dark horizon to the east. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.

east-south-east - excellent

Dark sky to the east-south-east horizon. The Milky Way can be traced to the ground in this direction.

south-east - excellent

The south-east horizon is fully dark. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground and the Milky Way reaches the horizon on clear nights.

south-south-east - excellent

The south-south-east horizon is fully dark. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground and the Milky Way reaches the horizon on clear nights.

south - excellent

The south horizon is dark to the unaided eye. Faint stars are visible at the lowest elevations.

south-south-west - excellent

Dark sky to the south-south-west horizon. The Milky Way can be traced to the ground in this direction.

south-west - excellent

Dark sky to the south-west horizon. The Milky Way can be traced to the ground in this direction.

west-south-west - excellent

No artificial glow on the west-south-west horizon. Faint deep-sky objects in this direction are accessible at low elevation.

west - excellent

The west horizon is fully dark. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground and the Milky Way reaches the horizon on clear nights.

west-north-west - excellent

Dark sky to the west-north-west horizon. The Milky Way can be traced to the ground in this direction.

north-west - excellent

The north-west horizon is dark to the unaided eye. Faint stars are visible at the lowest elevations.

north-north-west - excellent

Clean, fully dark horizon to the north-north-west. Star counts remain high right down to the ground.

zenith - marginal

The zenith sky is clearly elevated above natural levels. Limiting magnitude is around 3.5.

  • North Upton
    Direction
    ESE
    Distance (km)
    22.8
    SQM
    20.96
    Bortle
    4
  • Talland Bay
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    19.1
    SQM
    20.78
    Bortle
    5
  • St. Thomas the Apostle Rural
    Direction
    NNW
    Distance (km)
    32.9
    SQM
    21.39
    Bortle
    3
  • Wenmouth Cross
    Direction
    WNW
    Distance (km)
    31.7
    SQM
    21.27
    Bortle
    4
  • Chawleigh
    Direction
    NNE
    Distance (km)
    61.2
    SQM
    21.42
    Bortle
    3
  • Tregothnan Gardens
    Direction
    W
    Distance (km)
    61.9
    SQM
    21.17
    Bortle
    4