Is tonight good for stargazing in London?

Not worth it tonight

Clouds will block the view. Stay inside.

London

Tonight's score

0.3

out of 10

Sun ↓ 19:05Dark 21:00–04:4898% cloud, 21:00–04:48

Best 2 hours

1.903:00–04:48

Evening, 21–01

0.021:00–01:00

Best this week

9.1Sun, Sep 20

Parts of the night. The score above covers the whole dark window.

Moon

Waxing Gibbous

61% lit

Moon low or brief — minimal impact

Moon up: 16:14–23:01

Visible in daylight from 16:14 until sunset

📍 S · 9°

Full moon: Sep 26

Right now at EGLC, 28 min ago

Mostly cloudy · 75%

Airport weather report 13 km away. The score above is the forecast for tonight after dark.

Next good night

Sunday — 9.1

Exceptional night

Sky quality tonight

Best 2 hours: 03:00–04:48

This week’s nights

Europe/London

How the score works

60% weight

Cloud cover

Averaged over the whole dark window, layer by layer. Low cloud blocks everything; thin high cirrus still lets bright stars through.

40% weight

Moon darkness

A new moon boosts the score. A bright Moon only costs points while it is actually above the horizon in the dark hours, and more the higher it stands.

Stargazing around London

Updated 19 September 2026

Darker skies nearby

South Downs National Park — Moore's Reserve
International Dark Sky Reserve (2016)
70 km as the crow flies
Cranborne Chase National Landscape Dark Sky Reserve
International Dark Sky Reserve (2019)
147 km as the crow flies
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park Dark Sky Reserve
International Dark Sky Reserve (2013)
235 km as the crow flies
Exmoor National Park Dark Sky Reserve
International Dark Sky Reserve (2011)
246 km as the crow flies

What you can realistically see from the city

The Moon and the bright planets (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars when it is close) show up even from a light-polluted centre on a clear night.
Bright stars and constellations are easy. Through binoculars, the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula (winter) still stand out; faint galaxies do not.
The Milky Way is not visible from central London; you need a dark site outside the city.

Darkness through the year

From about 22 May to 20 July the sun never gets 18° below the horizon, so the sky never becomes fully dark, even at 2 a.m.
Around the winter solstice you get about 12 hours of full darkness.
Nights with 9+ hours of full darkness: October – February.
The bright core of the Milky Way (in Sagittarius) never climbs more than 9° above the southern horizon from London, so it hides behind haze and buildings.
The summer Milky Way through Cygnus is the one to look for: its brightest star, Deneb, passes 84° high.

Stargazing in London: questions

When does it get properly dark in London?

Between about 22 May and 20 July it never gets fully dark. The longest dark nights, around the winter solstice, give about 12 hours of full darkness. Months with 9+ hours: October – February.

Can you see the Milky Way from London?

Not from the city centre. From London's latitude the Milky Way's core peaks at only 9° above the horizon, so the band to look for is the summer Milky Way through Cygnus, which passes 84° high on dark nights from July to October. The nearest designated dark-sky place is South Downs National Park — Moore's Reserve, about 70 km away.

Where is the nearest dark-sky place to London?

South Downs National Park — Moore's Reserve: International Dark Sky Reserve (2016), about 70 km as the crow flies.

What is the best time of year for stargazing in London?

For long, fully dark nights: October – February. Around the winter solstice there are about 12 hours of full darkness. Check the score before you go; clouds decide more than the calendar.