Is tonight good for stargazing in Liverpool?
Sky quality tonight
Best 2 hours: 03:00–05:00This week’s nights
Europe/LondonHow the score works
Stargazing around Liverpool
Darker skies nearby
- Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park Dark Sky ReserveInternational Dark Sky Reserve (2015)80 km as the crow flies
- Yorkshire Dales National Park Dark Sky ReserveInternational Dark Sky Reserve (2020)109 km as the crow flies
- Elan Valley Estate Dark Sky ParkInternational Dark Sky Park (2015)135 km as the crow flies
- North York Moors National Park Dark Sky ReserveInternational Dark Sky Reserve (2020)149 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 Liverpool; you need a dark site outside the city.
Darkness through the year
- From about 14 May to 28 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 12.1 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 8° above the southern horizon from Liverpool, so it hides behind haze and buildings.
- The summer Milky Way through Cygnus is the one to look for: its brightest star, Deneb, passes 82° high.
Stargazing in Liverpool: questions
When does it get properly dark in Liverpool?
Between about 14 May and 28 July it never gets fully dark. The longest dark nights, around the winter solstice, give about 12.1 hours of full darkness. Months with 9+ hours: October – February.
Can you see the Milky Way from Liverpool?
Not from the city centre. From Liverpool's latitude the Milky Way's core peaks at only 8° above the horizon, so the band to look for is the summer Milky Way through Cygnus, which passes 82° high on dark nights from July to October. The nearest designated dark-sky place is Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park Dark Sky Reserve, about 80 km away.
Where is the nearest dark-sky place to Liverpool?
Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park Dark Sky Reserve: International Dark Sky Reserve (2015), about 80 km as the crow flies.
What is the best time of year for stargazing in Liverpool?
For long, fully dark nights: October – February. Around the winter solstice there are about 12.1 hours of full darkness. Check the score before you go; clouds decide more than the calendar.