Is tonight good for stargazing in Bristol?

Probably not tonight

Too much cloud cover for a good session.

Bristol

Tonight's score

4.2

out of 10

Sun ↓ 18:19Dark 20:10–05:4377% cloud, 20:10–05:43

Best 2 hours

8.401:00–03:00

Evening, 21–01

1.021:00–01:00

Best this week

10.0Fri, Oct 16

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

Moon

Waxing Crescent

18% lit

Moon doesn’t interfere — perfect darkness

Moon up: 12:20–19:24

Visible in daylight from 12:20 until sunset

Full moon: Oct 26

Next good night

Friday — 10.0

Exceptional night

Sky quality tonight

Best 2 hours: 01:00–03:00

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 Bristol

Updated 19 September 2026

Darker skies nearby

Cranborne Chase National Landscape Dark Sky Reserve
International Dark Sky Reserve (2019)
67 km as the crow flies
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park Dark Sky Reserve
International Dark Sky Reserve (2013)
76 km as the crow flies
Exmoor National Park Dark Sky Reserve
International Dark Sky Reserve (2011)
81 km as the crow flies
Gower National Landscape Dark Sky Community
International Dark Sky Community (2025)
115 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.

Darkness through the year

From about 23 May to 19 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 10° above the southern horizon from Bristol, 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 Bristol: questions

When does it get properly dark in Bristol?

Between about 23 May and 19 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 Bristol?

From Bristol's latitude the Milky Way's core peaks at only 10° 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 Cranborne Chase National Landscape Dark Sky Reserve, about 67 km away.

Where is the nearest dark-sky place to Bristol?

Cranborne Chase National Landscape Dark Sky Reserve: International Dark Sky Reserve (2019), about 67 km as the crow flies.

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

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.