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Helvellyn, Cumbria

54.53°N, 3.02°W · ~900m · 07:52 – 17:59
Updated 00:39
Temp
1°C
↑ 0.2 / 1hr
Wind
15.4
↓ 2.2 / 1hr
Condition
Mostly clear
Mostly clear
Score
5.4
Fair
Time
Condition
Precip mm
Precip %
Temp
Temp °C
Feels °C
Wind
Direction
Wind mph
Gust mph
Detail
Humidity %
Pressure
Vis km
UV Index
CAPE J/kg
Score
Thu 22 Oct Fri 23 Oct Sat 24 Oct Sun 25 Oct Mon 26 Oct Tue 27 Oct
00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00
Mostly clear Mostly cloudy Overcast Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy Overcast Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy Overcast Moderate rain Moderate rain with sunny spells Light drizzle Mostly sunny Moderate drizzle Sunny intervals Mostly sunny Mostly sunny Mostly clear Mostly clear Mostly clear Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy Overcast Overcast Overcast Light drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate rain Dense drizzle Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate drizzle Dense drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate rain Moderate rain Dense drizzle Moderate drizzle Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate rain Heavy rain Heavy rain Heavy rain Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate rain Mostly cloudy Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Overcast Overcast Overcast Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle with clear spells Light drizzle with clear spells Light drizzle with clear spells Light drizzle with clear spells Mostly cloudy Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Overcast Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Moderate drizzle Dense drizzle Dense drizzle Dense drizzle Moderate rain Moderate rain Moderate rain Light drizzle Light drizzle with clear spells Light drizzle with clear spells Light drizzle with clear spells Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle Light drizzle
- - - - - - - - - - 1.5 1.9 0.2 - 0.6 - - - - - - - - - - - 0.2 0.8 0.6 0.8 1.4 1.2 1.9 1.6 0.5 1 0.9 0.8 0.8 2.4 2.3 1.1 0.5 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.3 0.3 0.3 1.9 1.9 1.9 4.2 4.2 4.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 - - - - - - 0.5 0.5 0.5 - - - 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 - - - - - - 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.6 2.6 2.6 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.7 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
5% 25% 25% 20% 30% 20% 30% 25% 25% 75% 100% 100% 100% 55% 95% 45% 10% 10% 5% 15% 0% 20% 15% 15% 10% 35% 90% 95% 95% 95% 100% 100% 100% 100% 95% 100% 95% 95% 95% 100% 100% 100% 90% 40% 25% 25% 15% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 15% 20% 35% 80% 85% 85% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 90% 85% 80% 50% 15% 15% 15% 15% 40% 70% 75% 70% 30% 20% 30% 70% 70% 75% 75% 70% 70% 75% 75% 80% 80% 75% 80% 75% 70% 70% 70% 65% 65% 20% 15% 25% 25% 35% 55% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 85% 85% 85% 85% 80% 75% 95% 95% 95% 95% 100% 100% 75% 70% 60% 60% 60% 65% 70% 70% 75% 75% 70% 75% 75% 80% 80% 80% 80% 70% 75% 75%
 
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W W W WNW WNW WNW WNW W W W W W W W W WSW WSW SW SW S S SSE SE SE ESE ESE E E ESE E E E E E E WNW WNW WNW WNW WNW WNW WNW WNW WNW WNW NW WNW WNW WNW W W WSW WSW SW SW SSW SSW SSW S S S S S S SSW SSW SW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW W W W W W W W W W W W W WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW SW SW SW SSW SSW S SSE SE SSE SSE S S SSW SSW SSW SSW SSW SW SW SW SW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW SW SW SW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW WSW W W W
15 13 13 11 9 8 8 7 8 12 11 13 13 16 13 11 11 9 9 7 8 8 9 11 11 12 14 14 13 14 13 11 8 6 2 8 20 23 23 23 27 24 29 28 26 23 22 18 15 13 9 7 6 7 8 10 13 16 19 22 26 28 28 26 24 24 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 29 29 28 28 28 28 28 27 25 23 22 22 22 21 21 20 19 18 17 16 14 13 11 9 8 8 8 8 9 11 13 15 18 21 24 27 29 29 28 26 22 16 12 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 17 17 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 17 17 16 15 15
33 28 29 24 21 18 18 16 19 25 24 27 26 32 26 23 22 18 19 16 17 19 21 26 26 30 33 33 32 34 31 27 21 14 6 16 42 49 49 50 58 51 64 61 57 53 49 39 31 25 16 12 10 11 14 18 22 28 33 40 46 50 50 46 44 43 44 45 46 49 51 52 54 55 55 54 54 53 53 53 51 50 49 50 51 51 48 44 41 40 40 39 38 37 36 34 32 30 28 25 23 19 17 15 14 15 16 18 20 23 28 33 38 43 48 51 52 50 46 38 29 22 20 21 23 25 27 29 30 31 31 32 32 32 33 33 33 32 32 32 31 30 28 27 26
 
88 91 89 89 91 91 88 92 93 93 98 99 99 90 93 85 81 86 88 88 84 89 89 87 84 86 91 95 98 100 100 100 100 99 98 99 100 100 100 100 100 96 92 89 88 93 81 79 80 81 83 85 86 87 89 90 91 92 92 92 91 91 92 93 91 85 76 70 69 71 73 74 74 74 74 75 74 71 68 66 69 74 77 76 74 73 75 78 81 83 85 87 88 88 88 87 86 85 84 83 83 85 87 90 92 94 95 95 94 93 93 92 92 92 91 91 90 90 89 88 88 88 89 90 91 90 88 86 85 85 84 81 80 80 80 81 83 84 86 87 88 89 89 90 91
896 896 896 896 896 897 897 897 898 899 899 900 900 901 901 901 901 901 901 901 900 900 899 899 897 896 895 894 893 892 892 892 892 892 893 893 893 894 895 895 896 897 898 899 900 901 901 902 902 903 903 902 902 901 901 900 898 896 894 891 888 885 883 880 879 878 879 879 879 878 878 878 878 879 879 880 880 882 883 885 886 887 888 890 891 892 893 894 895 896 897 897 898 898 898 898 898 898 897 896 895 895 894 893 892 891 889 888 886 885 884 884 884 884 884 884 883 883 883 882 882 882 882 883 883 883 884 885 885 886 887 887 888 889 890 890 891 892 893 894 895 896 897 898 899
40.8 35.5 39.6 39.8 36.8 37.4 41.7 37.1 36 34.3 8 17.8 11 35.9 22.4 46.7 51 48.4 45.5 43.2 40.1 33.9 35.1 30.8 36.6 35.8 18.3 12.2 8.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 5.6 9.8 4 0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 10.6 35.8 56.3 56.3 50.7 56.4 50.2 42.1 33.1 23.5 23.1 22.7 21.9 21 20.2 14.8 9.5 4.1 3.7 3.2 2.8 2.9 3.1 3.2 10.4 17.5 24.7 19.1 13.6 8 9.5 11 12.5 14.7 16.9 19.2 19.6 20.1 20.5 17.2 13.8 10.5 9.3 8.1 7 6.6 6.3 6 6.4 6.8 7.2 8.7 10.2 11.7 14.8 17.9 21 21.5 22 22.6 16.4 10.3 4.2 4.4 4.6 4.8 4.2 3.5 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.6 3.1 3.5 4 4 3.9 3.9 4 4.1 4.1 4.3 4.6 4.8 7.9 11 14.2 16.5 18.9 21.2 21.1 21 20.9 18.9 16.9 15 13 11 9.1 9.4 9.7 10 10.3 10.6
- - - - - - - - - 0.1 0.1 0.7 1 1.1 0.6 0.5 0.2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.3 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.3 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.2 1.1 0.9 0.7 0.3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.2 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0.4 0.7 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.1 0.9 0.6 0.2 - - - - - - -
0 10 0 0 10 10 0 10 20 20 0 140 110 130 40 20 30 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 10 20 20 20 20 20 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 40 50 40 20 10 30 70 90 80 40 20 10 20 20 30 40 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 10 10 20 20 20 10 10 20 40 50 60 60 60 60 60 60 110 110 110 100 80 60 30 10 0 0 0 0 0 0
3.7 4.7 3.4 5.6 6.3 6.9 5.7 7.2 6.8 4.2 3.3 2.3 3.6 3.5 3.4 5.6 5.9 6.7 6.6 7.3 7.0 6.7 6.4 4.2 4.1 3.4 2.5 2.2 2.5 1.9 2.1 3.1 3.9 5.3 8.5 5.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.5 2.7 4.0 5.7 6.4 6.8 6.6 6.0 5.2 4.0 2.8 1.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.2 1.7 2.0 2.3 2.6 3.0 3.5 4.2 3.6 4.3 4.9 5.5 6.0 5.2 5.1 4.8 4.4 3.8 3.1 1.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 3.6 3.9 3.6 3.3 4.8 4.2 3.8 3.7 3.6 2.3 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.3 2.6 4.1 4.4 4.6
Best Activity Window
WeatherDuck score WeatherDuck score Wind matters most. Rain comes next. Sky only nudges it. Temperature is off by default because layers and kit change comfort.
Day average
5.4/10
Windy, dull day
Best window
19:00-22:00
avg 7.0/10
Day average: 5.4/10
Best window: 19:00-22:00 · Avg 7.0
06:00 · 5.7/10
07:00 · 7.2/10
08:00 · 6.8/10
09:00 · 4.2/10
10:00 · 3.3/10
11:00 · 2.3/10
12:00 · 3.6/10
13:00 · 3.5/10
14:00 · 3.4/10
15:00 · 5.6/10
16:00 · 5.9/10
17:00 · 6.7/10
18:00 · 6.6/10
19:00 · 7.3/10
20:00 · 7.0/10
21:00 · 6.7/10
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
What this shows
The selected day from 06:00 to 21:00, scored from 0-10. The top line gives the day average and strongest window; the bars show how conditions rise and fall through that activity window. WeatherDuck score — Wind up to 5 mph (matters a lot) · Rain none at all (matters a fair bit) · Sky At least Mostly cloudy (matters a fair bit).
Score Customiser
WeatherDuck score
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These factors shape your score — set a comfy range for each, and how much it matters. Add more from the tray, or remove ones you don't care about. The bars update instantly.

Wind
Comfy range up to 5 mph
How much it matters
matters a lot
Rain
Comfy range none at all
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
Sky
Comfy range At least Mostly cloudy
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
Temperature
Comfy range 0 – 25°C
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
Time of day
Comfy range any time of day
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
UV
Comfy range any UV level
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
Wind direction
Comfy range any direction
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
Visibility
Comfy range at least 5 km
How much it matters
matters a fair bit
Not counted — tap to add
Day briefing

Overcast

4° / 1° · Today · Thu 22

Spells of rain most likely in morning and midday. Westerly winds averaging around 10 mph with peaks near 16 mph, gusting to 33 mph. Temperatures range from 1C to 4C with largely cloudy skies. Watch for a frost risk in colder spots.

4.2 mm
Rain total
16 mph W
Wind max
gusts 33 mph
1.1
UV max
peak 13:00
Off-season
Pollen
28
Air quality
Fair
Very low
Thunder
CAPE 140
Atmosphere
Cloud avg 72%
Freezing level 1,060 mup to 1,660 m
Fog risk Low
Sun & Moon
07:52 / 17:59
Sun ↑↓
10 h 7 m
Daylight
16:21 / 01:41
Moon ↑↓
Waxing Gibbous
Moon phase
82% lit
Live rain radar
LIVE
Loading radar…
--:--
Light Moderate Heavy
Radar data by RainViewer
Is it muddy out there? 12 mm last 24 h · free account unlocks the verdict Sign up →
Ground conditions
Is it muddy out there?
A free account unlocks the local dryness verdict. No payment details.
12 mm
Last 24 h
53.9 mm
Last 7 days
Measured at Glenridding rain gauge, 3.2 km away
Create a free account
Rain gauges and totals stay free for everyone
What to wear
Rain expected and gusty winds and sub-zero wind chill; full waterproofs, layer up for wind chill.
LayerItemMaterialWhy
Base Thermal base layer Heavyweight merino or synthetic thermal; avoid cotton -5°C feels temp
Mid Heavy fleece Heavy fleece or synthetic fill; not down (rain forecast) Wind chill feels like -5°C
Outer Waterproof jacket Breathable membrane (Gore-Tex etc.), hood Heavy rain + 53 mph gusts
Lower Waterproof trousers Over existing trousers, breathable Heavy rain forecast
Feet Insulated waterproof boots Stiff sole for frozen ground, thick socks (wool blend) Frozen ground, ice risk
Extras Warm hat, thick gloves, balaclava Windproof gloves, spare pair. Consider microspikes for ice Feels like -5°C with a risk to exposed skin
Layer up. Plan to wear the main protection from the start.
Wear from the start 5 pieces
Add before you go Weather protection

Tap an item to see why

Essential Recommended Guidance

Guidance based on the forecast, not professional safety advice. Always use your own judgement. BMC layering guide →

Essential Recommended
This is general guidance based on forecast data, not professional safety advice. Always use your own judgement. BMC layering guide →
Inversion Outlook Forecast source Met Office Seamless
UKV 2 km with UKMO Global fallback
Likelihood labels describe the model signal, not an exact percentage chance.
Morning 00:00–12:00 · Afternoon 12:00–00:00
Up to two qualifying hours before midnight join the next morning. Lake District, Howgills & Eden Valley region
Unlikely
Thursday morning BEST
No clear window yet.
Confidence: N/A
THU MORNING
No clear window
Unlikely
Confidence: N/A
THU AFTERNOON
No clear window
Unlikely
Confidence: N/A
Tap a period for detail
Key Factors What we look for

Our inversion forecast combines five weather factors and how long favourable conditions are expected to last.

Temperature lid
Warm air sitting above cooler valley air, the essential ingredient for a cloud sea.
Valley moisture
Whether the valley air is damp enough to form and hold cloud.
Layer contrast
A sharp boundary between the cloudy valley and the dry air above it.
Summit clarity
Clear, dry air above the cloud layer. The better this is, the cleaner the summit views.
Wind speed
Light winds at low levels keep the inversion intact and the cloud sea flat.
Duration
How long the conditions hold. A sustained event gives more time to get above the clouds.
Temperature lid
Poor
Valley moisture
Poor
Layer contrast
Poor
Summit clarity
Poor
Wind speed
Poor
Duration
0h
No temperature inversion detected
Marginal moisture below
No moisture contrast, diffuse profile
Saturated above, no clear cap
Too windy, mixing likely
No sustained favourable window
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Cloud Inversion Heatmap About this map A shaded area means several nearby locations agree — amber for possible, green for likely, blue for very likely. The bands always sit inside one another, so stronger signals appear more solid.
The purple dot marks your location.
Drag the timeline to see how the chance changes through the night.
Very likely Likely Possible
Atmospheric Profile · Glenridding · 145 m
Loading… Timeline
Atmospheric profile data for Helvellyn,GB
Surface Pressure

Humidity at Pressure Levels

Tap heights to compare both charts.

Higher humidity means the air is closer to saturation.

Temperature at Pressure Levels

Tap heights to compare both charts.

Warmer air above cooler air can indicate an inversion.

All heights shown equally.

Golden Hour
Today
DARKNESS
DAYLIGHT
07:07
07:32
07:52 Sunrise
08:12
08:37
Golden Hour · 40 min
Be at your summit by 07:32
Allow time to set up before the light show begins.
Monthly Inversion Chance
Illustrative relative chance by season
Illustrative — typical UK pattern
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
~2 proper inversion days per year. Mostly late autumn to spring.

Cloud inversions explained

What is a cloud inversion near Helvellyn, Cumbria?

A cloud inversion happens when cool, moist air becomes trapped in valleys beneath warmer air above. If the trapped moisture turns into fog or low cloud, the hills can rise through it into clearer air and sunshine. From a summit, the result can look like a wide sea of cloud with only the higher peaks visible.

The best chance near Helvellyn, Cumbria is a calm, settled night with moist valley air, a warm lid above and clearer, drier air over the tops. The bands on this page, from Unlikely to Very likely, describe the strength of that overall signal rather than a percentage promise, so always check timing, estimated cloud height and wind before setting off.

How to read this page. The headline outlook covers the surrounding region. Key Factors and the Atmospheric Profile describe the nearest available atmospheric profile.

See the dedicated Helvellyn cloud inversion page Read the full UK cloud inversion guide See how WeatherDuck forecasts inversions
Tonight's Stargazing
11
Very poor conditions Skies look closed in — best to wait it out.
Waxing Gibbous Moon Waxing Gibbous 81%
Mostly cloudy Cloud Cover Mostly cloudy 84%
Moon Times Set 01:41 · Rise 16:21
Sky Clarity 27 km Clear
Lunar Day Day 10.6
Light Pollution View map ↓
Tonight's Aurora
Aurora & Solar Wind NOAA
2.0 Planetary Kp Very Low
Wind Speed 463 km/s
Bz -0.3 nT
Density 6.7 p/cm³
Bt 8.6 nT
No significant aurora activity expected tonight.
Observed 23:26 UTC · cached 5 min

Nightly Outlook

Tonight · 21 Oct

Waxing Gibbous · 81% illuminated

11/100
No good window tonight 81% cloud cover all night
Moon height above horizon Daylight
18:00–10:00 next morning
Moonset 03:01 Sunset 17:59Sunrise 07:54
Every hour in detail
Hours after midnight are the following morning.
HourCloud coverMoon
18:00 100% Above horizon
19:00 100% Above horizon
20:00 100% Above horizon
21:00 100% Above horizon
22:00 100% Above horizon
23:00 80% Above horizon
00:00 37% Above horizon
01:00 70% Above horizon
02:00 86% Above horizon
03:00 84% Below horizon
04:00 82% Below horizon
05:00 65% Below horizon
06:00 86% Below horizon
07:00 85% Below horizon
08:00 78% Below horizon
09:00 80% Below horizon
Highest moon 26° at 21:40 Lunar day 10.6

Aurora Kp · 3-Day Forecast

NOAA SWPC · 3-hourly
Higher Kp = stronger geomagnetic activity = better aurora chances. For UK observers, Kp 4+ means aurora is possible from N. Scotland; Kp 5+ brings it across the whole UK.
Today
Wed 21 Oct
Unsettled
Peak Kp 4.7 at 21:00 UTC
Faint aurora possible from N. Scotland.
9630
4.7 · 21:00
0003060912151821
Today
Thu 22 Oct
Unsettled
Peak Kp 4.7 at 06:00 UTC
Faint aurora possible from N. Scotland.
9630
4.7 · 06:00
0003060912151821
Tomorrow
Fri 23 Oct
Quiet
Peak Kp 2.3 at 00:00 UTC
No aurora expected — geomagnetic field calm.
9630
2.3 · 00:00
0003060912151821
Aurora Forecast Map
NOAA OVATION Aurora Forecast
Global — OVATION Model
UK Focus
NOAA OVATION Model • Auto-refreshed
Your Night Sky
Meteor Showers
Orionids Active Now
Oct 2 – Nov 7 · Peak Oct 21
Fast, with persistent trains.
1
days past peak
Coming up this year
Leonids Nov 17
Nov 6 – Nov 30
Occasional storms. Fast, bright.
Geminids Dec 14
Dec 4 – Dec 20
Best of the year. Bright, multi-coloured.
Earlier this year
Quadrantids Jan 4
Jan 1 – Jan 6
Strong, short-lived peak. Bright fireballs.
Lyrids Apr 22
Apr 16 – Apr 25
Sparse, sometimes glowing trails.
Eta Aquariids May 6
Apr 19 – May 28
Best before dawn. Fast meteors.
Delta Aquariids Jul 30
Jul 12 – Aug 23
Steady rates, faint. Best late night.
Perseids Aug 12
Jul 17 – Aug 24
Bright, reliable. Best summer shower.
Light Pollution Map
Understanding the stargazing score

The stargazing score combines cloud cover and moon illumination to estimate how good conditions are for observing the night sky. Cloud cover is the dominant factor — even the darkest location is useless under heavy cloud.

The Bortle scale measures light pollution from 1 (pristine dark sky) to 9 (inner-city sky). In the UK, the best accessible sites reach Bortle 2 to 3, found in areas like Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, parts of the Lake District, Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons, and the Scottish Highlands. At Bortle 3, the Milky Way is clearly visible and dozens of deep-sky objects are observable with binoculars.

Moon phase matters: A new moon (0% illumination) provides the darkest sky. A full moon floods the sky with light, washing out everything except planets and the brightest stars. The best stargazing combines a new or thin crescent moon with clear skies.

Practical tips: Give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to dark-adapt after arriving at your spot. Avoid looking at phone screens (use a red-light torch instead). The hours after midnight are often best, as the atmosphere settles and any remaining cloud may clear.

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