Hull Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.69

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

30%

Dataset

April 2026

City sky

Hull: The Practical Verdict

Hull, a mid-sized city in the United Kingdom, offers heavily light-polluted skies typical of urban areas. Stargazing conditions are poor, with the brightness erasing the Milky Way completely and only the very brightest objects standing out from the glow.

The best targets here include celestial bodies like the Moon, prominent planets, and bright stars. Observing faint nebulous or deep-sky objects is essentially impossible without electronic assistance due to the overwhelming urban light. Only narrowband imaging of selected objects might yield acceptable results.

A marked improvement can be experienced by heading to Heslerton, around 45 km to the north-north-west. This Bortle 4 area offers substantially darker skies, making it a worthwhile destination for deeper astronomical pursuits.

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

Heslerton sits about 46 km north north west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 7.1x darker.

Moderate dark window

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

No. Hull is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.69, 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 Hull?

Hull is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.69), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Hull good for stargazing?

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

Is Hull good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Hull?

Primary targets from Hull 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 Hull?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Rise, about 11 km north east of Hull, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Hull?

The sky over Hull is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 79 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Hull getting better or worse?

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

• Rise

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  11.2

  SQM

  20.63

  Bortle

  5

• Halsham

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  18.5

  SQM

  20.14

  Bortle

  6

• Eskham

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  42

  SQM

  20.67

  Bortle

  5

• Heslerton

  Direction

  NNW

  Distance (km)

  46.2

  SQM

  20.82

  Bortle

  4

• Scott Willoughby

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  92.8

  SQM

  20.67

  Bortle

  5

• Breckles

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  162.5

  SQM

  21.05

  Bortle

  4