Plymouth Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.81

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

31%

Dataset

April 2026

City sky

Plymouth: The Practical Verdict

Plymouth, located in southwest England as a mid-size city by the coast, faces a considerable challenge for stargazing. The sky here is highly light-polluted, ranking in the high light pollution tier, and the Milky Way cannot be seen due to the washed-out urban sky background. Observing quality is undercut by the brightness of the eastern horizon.

From within Plymouth, astronomy targets are limited to the brightest and most resilient celestial objects. The Moon, planets, double stars, and solar system events can be enjoyed without trouble. However, faint deep-sky objects, galaxies, and wide-field views of the Milky Way are not feasible under these conditions.

For those keen on deeper exploration, South Petherwin, north-north-west of Plymouth and about 30 km away, offers significantly darker skies in a Bortle 3 area. Consider this option for serious deep-sky viewing and imaging.

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

South Petherwin sits about 31 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 Narkurs, about 17 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 47 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.

• Narkurs

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  16.8

  SQM

  20.77

  Bortle

  5

• South Petherwin

  Direction

  NNW

  Distance (km)

  30.9

  SQM

  21.37

  Bortle

  3

• North Upton

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  22.8

  SQM

  20.94

  Bortle

  4

• Wenmouth Cross

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  32.1

  SQM

  21.29

  Bortle

  4

• East Kimber

  Direction

  SE

  Distance (km)

  45.6

  SQM

  21.35

  Bortle

  3

• Frogmire

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  56.9

  SQM

  21.17

  Bortle

  4