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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

  • 21/04/26

    14° 0%

  • 21/04/26

    13° 0%

  • 21/04/26

    11° 0%

  • 22/04/26

    7° 0%

Weather forecast for Nottingham (9.1 miles away) updated 21/04/26 at 12:01. 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 Tue 21st Apr

Tue 21st Apr

Waxing Crescent
17 % illuminated
Dark from 01:24 to 03:22
Dark for 1h 58m
Moon phase on Wed 22nd Apr

Wed 22nd Apr

Waxing Crescent
27 % illuminated
Dark from 02:05 to 03:19
Dark for 1h 14m
Moon phase on Thu 23rd Apr

Thu 23rd Apr

First Quarter
38 % illuminated
Dark from 02:32 to 03:16
Dark for 0h 44m
Moon phase on Fri 24th Apr

Fri 24th Apr

First Quarter
49 % illuminated
Dark from 02:50 to 03:13
Dark for 0h 23m
Moon phase on Sat 25th Apr

Sat 25th Apr

First Quarter
60 % illuminated
Dark from 03:03 to 03:11
Dark for 0h 8m
Moon phase on Sun 26th Apr

Sun 26th Apr

Waxing Gibbous
70 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Mon 27th Apr

Mon 27th Apr

Waxing Gibbous
79 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS

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

  • Bassetlaw Astronomical Society meeting (in-person)

    Wednesday 22nd April 2026 from 20:00pm to 22:00pm

    Gateford Park Primary School, Worksop, S81 7AL (18.8 miles away)

    More info

  • Chesterfield Barnett Observatory open evening (visitors welcome)

    Friday 24th April 2026 from 20:00pm to 21:30pm

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

    More info

  • Sherwood Observatory Open Day and Solar Observing

    Saturday 25th April 2026 from 10:30am to 17:30pm

    Sherwood Observatory and Science Discovery Centre, Mansfield, NG17 5LF (8.8 miles away)

    More info

  • Leicester Astronomical Society meeting (fourth Tuesday)

    Tuesday 28th April 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:00pm

    National Space Centre, Leicester, LE4 5NS (28.6 miles away)

    More info

  • Sheffield Astronomical Society Beginner’s Evening

    Tuesday 28th April 2026 from 19:30pm to 22:00pm

    The Ranmoor Parish Centre, Sheffield, S10 3GX (29.6 miles away)

    More info

Stay and gaze nearby

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