Is tonight good for stargazing in Edinburgh?
Sky quality tonight
Best 2 hours: 20:18–22:00This week’s nights
Europe/LondonHow the score works
Stargazing around Edinburgh
Darker skies nearby
- Moffat Dark Sky CommunityInternational Dark Sky Community (2016)71 km as the crow flies
- Northumberland National Park & Kielder Water & Forest Park Dark Sky ParkInternational Dark Sky Park, Gold Tier (2013)93 km as the crow flies
- Galloway Forest Park Dark Sky ParkInternational Dark Sky Park, Gold Tier (2009)121 km as the crow flies
- Tomintoul and Glenlivet – Cairngorms Dark Sky ParkInternational Dark Sky Park, Gold Tier (2018)145 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 1 June to 10 July it doesn't even get past nautical twilight: the brightest stars only.
- From about 4 May to 7 August 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 12.3 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 5° above the southern horizon from Edinburgh, so it hides behind haze and buildings.
- The summer Milky Way through Cygnus is the one to look for: its brightest star, Deneb, passes 79° high.
Stargazing in Edinburgh: questions
When does it get properly dark in Edinburgh?
Between about 4 May and 7 August it never gets fully dark. The longest dark nights, around the winter solstice, give about 12.3 hours of full darkness. Months with 9+ hours: October – February.
Can you see the Milky Way from Edinburgh?
From Edinburgh's latitude the Milky Way's core peaks at only 5° above the horizon, so the band to look for is the summer Milky Way through Cygnus, which passes 79° high on dark nights from July to October. The nearest designated dark-sky place is Moffat Dark Sky Community, about 71 km away.
Where is the nearest dark-sky place to Edinburgh?
Moffat Dark Sky Community: International Dark Sky Community (2016), about 71 km as the crow flies.
What is the best time of year for stargazing in Edinburgh?
For long, fully dark nights: October – February. Around the winter solstice there are about 12.3 hours of full darkness. Check the score before you go; clouds decide more than the calendar.