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South Park - Oxford

South Park - Oxford

Morrell Avenuue, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1NG, South East England

Best time to visit

Science Oxford nominated South Park as the best place to stargaze near Oxford city centre. The best visibility is in the lower area, accessed via Morrell Avenue or Headington Hill gates. The public open space has 24-hour access and good visibility.

South Park - Oxford is a Dark Sky Discovery Site, an officially recognised place where anyone can stargaze. Most such locations have overnight parking (sometimes with a fee); however, many do not allow overnight camping. There may or may not be toilet facilities.

Weather forecast

  • 21/06/26

    27° 4%

  • 21/06/26

    27° 4%

  • 21/06/26

    27° 4%

  • 22/06/26

    24° 4%

Weather forecast for Oxford (1.0 miles away) updated 21/06/26 at 06:01. Powered by Met Office data.

Local light pollution

South Park - Oxford is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to a 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 South Park - Oxford

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 Sun 21st Jun

Sun 21st Jun

First Quarter
41 % illuminated
Dark from 23:50 to 01:41
Dark for 1h 51m
Moon phase on Mon 22nd Jun

Mon 22nd Jun

First Quarter
51 % illuminated
Dark from 00:01 to 01:42
Dark for 1h 41m
Moon phase on Tue 23rd Jun

Tue 23rd Jun

First Quarter
61 % illuminated
Dark from 00:13 to 01:42
Dark for 1h 29m
Moon phase on Wed 24th Jun

Wed 24th Jun

Waxing Gibbous
70 % illuminated
Dark from 00:28 to 01:43
Dark for 1h 15m
Moon phase on Thu 25th Jun

Thu 25th Jun

Waxing Gibbous
79 % illuminated
Dark from 00:47 to 01:43
Dark for 0h 56m
Moon phase on Fri 26th Jun

Fri 26th Jun

Waxing Gibbous
86 % illuminated
Dark from 01:12 to 01:44
Dark for 0h 32m
Moon phase on Sat 27th Jun

Sat 27th Jun

Waxing Gibbous
92 % 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

  • Milton Keynes Astronomical Society – Astrodome informal meeting

    Friday 3rd July 2026 from 20:00pm to 22:00pm

    Rectory Cottages - Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK63 6BJ (26.7 miles away)

    More info

  • Aylesbury Astronomical Society meeting

    Monday 6th July 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:00pm

    Aylesbury Scout Hut, Aylesbury, HP20 1LL (19.4 miles away)

    More info

  • East Oxford Astronomy Club meeting and observing

    Tuesday 7th July 2026 from 19:00pm to 20:00pm

    Leys College and African School, Oxford, OX4 6HN (2.5 miles away)

    More info

  • Inkpen Stargazers meeting and observing

    Wednesday 8th July 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:30pm

    Inkpen Memorial Ground and Pavilion, Hungerford, RG17 9QA (28.0 miles away)

    More info

  • Herschel Astronomical Society informal observing session

    Friday 10th July 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:30pm

    Maidenhead, Maidenhead, SL6 (26.9 miles away)

    More info

Stay and gaze nearby

Stay at one of these stargazing-friendly accommodation providers.

  • George’s Getaway

    Shenington Road, Banbury, Warwickshire, CV35 0TH (26.0 miles away)

    Stay & Gaze

    More info