The UK’s best cities for stargazing have been revealed, proving that those living in the city may not have to look far to experience some of this month’s impressive night sky offerings.
February’s stargazing calendar includes opportunities to view the elusive planet of Mercury, which is rarely in view, and a Snow Moon – the first full moon of 2022.
But while major cities may seem like an unlikely option for viewing, research by McCarthy Stone has found that numerous UK cities have an array of opportunities, with Bristol coming out on top for stargazing spots.
The first full moon of 2022 will occur at 4:56pm on February 16. The Snow Moon, historically named in accordance with the Farmer's Almanac, was given its name due to the typically heavy snowfall that occurs in February.
Budding astronomers in Bristol should consider themselves lucky after research found it to be the UK’s star city with the most stargazing spots. The historical city boasts four recognised night-time vantage points and has some of the lowest light pollution levels in the country.
With more remote working opportunities, many Londoners swapped city living for the countryside following lockdown. However, the study shows London to be one of the top spots for viewing the night sky.
England’s capital city secured joint-second place, boasting sites like Morden Hall Park - hailed as perfect for stargazing by the National Trust. The Welsh capital Cardiff also joins London to follow with three locations each.
Edinburgh and Peterborough followed with two each, making all three countries of mainland Britain great locations for catching a glimpse of the outer reaches.
The wider study, which looked into the best cities for nature lovers, used a scoring system which combined five factors including rare species of animals, stargazing spots, National Trust sites, and outdoor activities nearby, with each city being awarded points out of 100 per ranking.
Miruna Constantinescu, national marketing director at McCarthy Stone, said: “From stargazing to national parks, it’s amazing to see the wealth of natural hotspots which the UK has to offer in such proximity to large parts of the population.
“The lure of coastal and countryside developments may seem like the obvious choice for nature-lovers but, this study has shown that you can enjoy amazing nature sites on your doorstep across the UK.
“We understand the importance of getting outdoors, especially after living under restrictions over the past 18 months, and it’s great to be able to highlight some of the UK’s natural beauty.”
Upcoming night-sky calendar
- Snow Moon, 16 th February – The moon will be located on the opposite side of the earth as the sun and its face will be fully illuminated
- Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation, 16 th February – The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 26.3 degrees from the sun, making it the best time to view
- New Moon, 2nd March - The moon will be located on the same side of the earth as the sun and will not be visible in the night sky
- March Equinox, 20 th March – The sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world
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