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Colchester Castle

Colchester Castle

Castle Park, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1TJ, East of England

Best time to visit

Colchester Castle is a private location and is only accessible out of normal hours for stargazing by prior arrangement or when public events are scheduled.

Weather forecast

  • 08/07/26

    28° 3%

  • 08/07/26

    26° 0%

  • 08/07/26

    23° 0%

  • 09/07/26

    21° 0%

Weather forecast for Colchester (0.5 miles away) updated 08/07/26 at 12:01. Powered by Met Office data.

Local light pollution

Colchester Castle is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to a suburban 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 Colchester Castle

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 8th Jul

Wed 8th Jul

Third Quarter
48 % illuminated
Dark from 22:13 to 23:14
Dark for 1h 0m
Moon phase on Thu 9th Jul

Thu 9th Jul

Third Quarter
37 % illuminated
Dark from 22:11 to 23:34
Dark for 1h 22m
Moon phase on Fri 10th Jul

Fri 10th Jul

Waning Crescent
26 % illuminated
Dark from 22:10 to 00:03
Dark for 1h 52m
Moon phase on Sat 11th Jul

Sat 11th Jul

Waning Crescent
17 % illuminated
Dark from 22:08 to 00:48
Dark for 2h 39m
Moon phase on Sun 12th Jul

Sun 12th Jul

Waning Crescent
9 % illuminated
Dark from 22:06 to 01:54
Dark for 3h 47m
Moon phase on Mon 13th Jul

Mon 13th Jul

New Moon
3 % illuminated
Dark from 22:05 to 02:01
Dark for 3h 56m
Moon phase on Tue 14th Jul

Tue 14th Jul

New Moon
0 % illuminated
Dark from 22:03 to 02:03
Dark for 3h 59m

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

  • Orwell Astronomical Society meeting and observing

    Monday 13th July 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:30pm

    Newbourne Village Hall, Newbourne, IP12 4NP (20.2 miles away)

    More info

  • North Essex Astronomical Society – Young Astronomers Club

    Tuesday 14th July 2026 from 18:30pm to 19:30pm

    Southview School - Witham, Witham, CM8 2TA (12.5 miles away)

    More info

  • North Essex Astronomical Society meeting

    Wednesday 15th July 2026 from 20:00pm to 22:00pm

    Henry Dixon Hall, Witham, CM8 3HR (11.2 miles away)

    More info

  • Thaxted Astronomical Society club meeting

    Wednesday 15th July 2026 from 20:00pm to 22:00pm

    The Swan - Thaxted, Thaxted, CM6 2PL (24.4 miles away)

    More info

  • Bury St Edmunds Astronomy Association meeting

    Wednesday 22nd July 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:30pm

    Whepstead Community Centre, Whepstead, IP29 4TA (23.0 miles away)

    More info

Stay and gaze nearby

Stay at one of these stargazing-friendly accommodation providers.

  • Windmill Lodges

    Red House Farm, Saxtead, Suffolk, IP13 9RD (29.0 miles away)

    Stay & Gaze

    More info