Is tonight good for stargazing in Snowdonia?

Good night ahead

Mostly clear. Worth setting up.

Snowdonia

Tonight's score

7.1

out of 10

Cautious estimate

Models split — score biased toward the cloudier forecast.

Sun ↓ 18:13Dark 20:08–05:5346% cloud, 20:08–05:53

Best 2 hours

10.023:00–01:00

Evening, 21–01

7.921:00–01:00

Best this week

9.2Tue, Oct 20

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

Moon

First Quarter

53% lit

Moon low or brief — minimal impact

Moon up: 15:40–23:12

Visible in daylight from 15:40 until sunset

Full moon: Oct 26

Sky quality tonight

Best 2 hours: 23:00–01:00

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 Snowdonia

Updated 19 September 2026

Snowdonia is itself a dark-sky destination.

Darker skies nearby

Elan Valley Estate Dark Sky Park
International Dark Sky Park (2015)
73 km as the crow flies
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park Dark Sky Reserve
International Dark Sky Reserve (2013)
124 km as the crow flies
Gower National Landscape Dark Sky Community
International Dark Sky Community (2025)
150 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 16 May to 26 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 Snowdonia, 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 Snowdonia: questions

When does it get properly dark in Snowdonia?

Between about 16 May and 26 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 Snowdonia?

From Snowdonia'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 Elan Valley Estate Dark Sky Park, about 73 km away.

Where is the nearest dark-sky place to Snowdonia?

Elan Valley Estate Dark Sky Park: International Dark Sky Park (2015), about 73 km as the crow flies.

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

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.