SKY · STARGAZING · UK

Is Tonight Good for Stargazing in London?

Partly cloudy tonight (around 53% cloud), so expect to wait for clear breaks. A bright Moon (86% lit) will wash out faint stars and the Milky Way tonight.

TONIGHT'S VERDICT · LONDON

VerdictPartly cloudy — patient viewing

Night cloud53%

MoonWaxing Gibbous · 86%

Dark from9:00 PM

Until5:16 AM

Worth looking for: Planets, the Moon, and brighter constellations between the clouds.

Live cloud reading

READING TONIGHT'S SKY…

How dark is the sky over London?

Sky class (estimate)Bortle 9 · Inner-city sky

A Bortle 8–9 dome covering the whole metro; real dark sky needs a proper drive.

Even on the clearest, Moonless night, a bright city sky limits what you can see. For the Milky Way and faint stars from London, you'll want to reach a darker site — see the options below.

Darker skies within reach of London

~2 HR DRIVE SOUTHSouth Downs National ParkIDA-certified International Dark Sky Reserve.

~3.5 HR DRIVE WEST — A DESTINATIONExmoor National ParkEurope’s first International Dark Sky Reserve.

Dark-sky designations from the International Dark-Sky Association and well-recognised dark regions. Always check access, opening hours and the weather before travelling.

London right now

SKY · TONIGHTEverything up over London tonight EARTH · WEATHERClouds & conditions over London SKY · LIVE MAPCloud cover & the night side over London

More sky over London

SKY · LIVEThe Moon tonight — London SKY · LIVESee the Milky Way — London SKY · LIVEAurora outlook — London SKY · LIVEHow the stargazing rating works

SEE IT ON THE MAP

Live cloud cover over London, on the full map.

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