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Dover Castle

Dover Castle

Castle Hill Road, Dover, Kent, CT16 1HU, South East England

Best time to visit

Dover 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

  • 01/09/26

    20° 1%

  • 01/09/26

    20° 5%

  • 01/09/26

    19° 5%

  • 02/09/26

    17° 4%

Weather forecast for Dover (0.3 miles away) updated 01/09/26 at 12:01. Powered by Met Office data.

Local light pollution

Dover 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 Dover 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 Tue 1st Sep

Tue 1st Sep

Waning Gibbous
84 % illuminated
NO DARKNESS
Moon phase on Wed 2nd Sep

Wed 2nd Sep

Waning Gibbous
75 % illuminated
Dark from 19:55 to 20:08
Dark for 0h 12m
Moon phase on Thu 3rd Sep

Thu 3rd Sep

Third Quarter
65 % illuminated
Dark from 19:53 to 20:41
Dark for 0h 48m
Moon phase on Fri 4th Sep

Fri 4th Sep

Third Quarter
54 % illuminated
Dark from 19:50 to 21:29
Dark for 1h 38m
Moon phase on Sat 5th Sep

Sat 5th Sep

Third Quarter
42 % illuminated
Dark from 19:47 to 22:35
Dark for 2h 47m
Moon phase on Sun 6th Sep

Sun 6th Sep

Third Quarter
31 % illuminated
Dark from 19:45 to 23:56
Dark for 4h 10m
Moon phase on Mon 7th Sep

Mon 7th Sep

Waning Crescent
21 % illuminated
Dark from 19:42 to 01:25
Dark for 5h 42m

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

  • Beacon Observatory Public Open Evening

    Saturday 5th September 2026 from 18:00pm to 21:00pm

    The Beacon Observatory - University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NZ (16.5 miles away)

    More info

  • South East Kent Astronomical Society meeting

    Thursday 10th September 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:00pm

    Alkham Village Hall, Alkham, CT15 7AR (4.3 miles away)

    More info

  • International Observe the Moon Night in Ramsgate

    Friday 18th September 2026 from 18:30pm to 20:30pm

    Ramsgate Royal Esplanade, Ramsgate, CT11 0HE (14.1 miles away)

    More info

  • Coastal Astronomers Society monthly meeting

    Saturday 19th September 2026 from 14:00pm to 16:00pm

    West Bay Cafe, Margate, CT8 8QZ (17.7 miles away)

    More info

  • Ashford Astronomical Society Meeting & Observing

    Friday 25th September 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:30pm

    Woodchurch Memorial Hall, Woodchurch, TN26 3QB (24.1 miles away)

    More info

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