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B6386 Oxton to Southwell Lay-by

B6386 Oxton to Southwell Lay-by

Oxton Hill, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0RN

Best time to visit

The Go Stargazing team added this off-road lay-by located North-East of Nottingham after it was recommended on Twitter as a great place to stargaze. Light pollution maps show that the site is away from the worst of Nottingham’s bright city lights.

B6386 Oxton to Southwell Lay-by is a Go Stargazing Site. The location has been identified by the Go Stargazing team as a good location for stargazing based on local light pollution levels, distance from nearby towns and cities and offers a safe place to park.

Weather forecast

  • 01/04/26

    13° 8%

  • 01/04/26

    13° 8%

  • 01/04/26

    12° 13%

  • 02/04/26

    10° 2%

Weather forecast for Nottingham (9.1 miles away) updated 01/04/26 at 06:01. Powered by Met Office data.

Local light pollution

B6386 Oxton to Southwell Lay-by is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to a semi-rural location based on the latest data from the VIIRS satellite. For more advanced light pollution data, view this location on DarkSkySites.

The above demonstrates the estimated effect of light pollution - graphics created using Stellarium.

Light pollution map of B6386 Oxton to Southwell Lay-by

Best time to visit

The Moon has a big impact on the visibility of celestial bodies in the night sky. Try to plan your stargazing when there is no bright Moon at night as this is when the skies will be at their darkest.

The below chart shows when the skies will be at their darkest at this location and therefore the best time to visit. Moonlight is shown in light yellow and the Sun's twilight in light blue. Midnight on the date shown is shown as a white line with sunset to the left and sunrise the next morning to the right. A black background with stars shows the best times for stargazing. See our dark sky calendar for more details.

Moon phase on Wed 1st Apr

Wed 1st Apr

Full Moon
99 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Thu 2nd Apr

Thu 2nd Apr

Full Moon
100 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Fri 3rd Apr

Fri 3rd Apr

Full Moon
99 % illuminated
Dark from 20:00 to 20:55
Dark for 0h 54m
Moon phase on Sat 4th Apr

Sat 4th Apr

Full Moon
96 % illuminated
Dark from 20:02 to 22:13
Dark for 2h 10m
Moon phase on Sun 5th Apr

Sun 5th Apr

Waning Gibbous
92 % illuminated
Dark from 20:04 to 23:29
Dark for 3h 24m
Moon phase on Mon 6th Apr

Mon 6th Apr

Waning Gibbous
86 % illuminated
Dark from 20:06 to 00:40
Dark for 4h 33m
Moon phase on Tue 7th Apr

Tue 7th Apr

Waning Gibbous
79 % illuminated
Dark from 20:09 to 01:40
Dark for 5h 30m

Find more dates

If you are planning to visit this location check our dark sky calendar to find out when is best!

Calendar

Events nearby

Display nearby events on a calendar

  • Nottingham Astronomical Society meeting

    Thursday 2nd April 2026 from 19:45pm to 21:00pm

    Nottingham Emmanuel School, West Bridgford, NG2 7YF (10.3 miles away)

    More info

  • Derby & District Astronomical Society monthly meeting

    Friday 3rd April 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:00pm

    Friends Meeting House - Derby, Derby, DE1 3GY (21.0 miles away)

    More info

  • Introduction to astronomy evening with Derby Astro

    Friday 3rd April 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:00pm

    Friends Meeting House - Derby, Derby, DE1 3GY (21.0 miles away)

    More info

  • Chesterfield Barnett Observatory open evening (visitors welcome)

    Friday 3rd April 2026 from 20:00pm to 21:30pm

    Chesterfield Barnett Observatory, Chesterfield, S41 8RH (21.7 miles away)

    More info

  • Lincoln Astronomical Society meeting

    Tuesday 7th April 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:00pm

    Lincoln Observatory, Lincoln, LN1 3TZ (23.5 miles away)

    More info

Stay and gaze nearby

Stay at one of these stargazing-friendly accommodation providers.

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