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West Ilsley Ridgeway Car Park

West Ilsley Ridgeway Car Park

Bury Lane, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0PH, South East England

Best time to visit

Escape the bright lights of Didcot and enjoy views of starry skies at this Ridgeway Car Park. We recommend using What3Words to find this location.

West Ilsley Ridgeway Car Park 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

  • 11/05/26

    11° 14%

  • 11/05/26

    12° 4%

  • 11/05/26

    12° 4%

  • 12/05/26

    9° 0%

Weather forecast for Didcot (4.7 miles away) updated 11/05/26 at 06:01. Powered by Met Office data.

Local light pollution

West Ilsley Ridgeway Car Park 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 West Ilsley Ridgeway Car Park

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 Mon 11th May

Mon 11th May

Third Quarter
39 % illuminated
Dark from 21:19 to 02:19
Dark for 4h 59m
Moon phase on Tue 12th May

Tue 12th May

Waning Crescent
29 % illuminated
Dark from 21:21 to 02:31
Dark for 5h 9m
Moon phase on Wed 13th May

Wed 13th May

Waning Crescent
19 % illuminated
Dark from 21:24 to 02:36
Dark for 5h 11m
Moon phase on Thu 14th May

Thu 14th May

Waning Crescent
11 % illuminated
Dark from 21:26 to 02:34
Dark for 5h 7m
Moon phase on Fri 15th May

Fri 15th May

Waning Crescent
5 % illuminated
Dark from 21:28 to 02:32
Dark for 5h 3m
Moon phase on Sat 16th May

Sat 16th May

New Moon
1 % illuminated
Dark from 21:31 to 02:29
Dark for 4h 57m
Moon phase on Sun 17th May

Sun 17th May

New Moon
0 % illuminated
Dark from 21:43 to 02:27
Dark for 4h 44m

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

  • Abingdon Astronomical Society meeting and observing

    Monday 11th May 2026 from 20:00pm to 22:00pm

    All Saint's Methodist Church Hall - Abingdon, Abingdon, OX14 2AQ (9.0 miles away)

    More info

  • Stargazing Monday with Oxford Space and Astronomy Society

    Monday 11th May 2026 from 22:15pm to 23:15pm

    Oxford University - Martin Wood Complex, Oxford, OX1 3PG (14.4 miles away)

    More info

  • Inkpen Stargazers meeting and observing

    Wednesday 13th May 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:30pm

    Inkpen Memorial Ground and Pavilion, Hungerford, RG17 9QA (14.1 miles away)

    More info

  • Practical Astronomy with Basingstoke Astronomical Society

    Thursday 14th May 2026 from 19:00pm to 21:00pm

    Cliddesden Primary School, Basingstoke, RG25 2QU (24.2 miles away)

    More info

  • Swindon Stargazers Monthly Meeting

    Friday 15th May 2026 from 19:30pm to 21:00pm

    Liddington Village Hall, Swindon, SN4 0HB (17.0 miles away)

    More info

Stay and gaze nearby

Stay at one of these stargazing-friendly accommodation providers.

  • Wild Camping Wiltshire

    Dark Lane, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 3FZ, South West England (19.8 miles away)

    Stay & Gaze

    More info