How to Use the No-Haze Stargaze App?







Planning a stargazing trip should not feel like homework.

You check one website for cloud cover, another for dark sky sites, another for moon phase, then another for driving distance. By the time you have compared everything, the night has either changed or you are no longer sure where to go.

That is exactly why No-Haze Stargaze exists.

It helps you quickly find UK stargazing locations, compare visibility, check moon illumination and sort places by distance from your postcode. Instead of guessing whether tonight is worth it, you can make a faster decision and spend more time under the sky.

This blog contains instructions on how to make the most out of the No-Haze Stargaze site to find stargazing spots that are customised to your needs. No-Haze Stargaze  can be accessed via both desktop and mobile, however we encourage you to use the desktop version since it includes a map which we feel is more intuitive!


How to check tonight's best sites?

One of the key features of No-Haze Stargaze is checking what stargazing sites are best on a given day for you. Once the default 'By Location' option has been selected, you can find the best stargazing spots closest to you. 

This pane contains an option to enter a location (for eg: Cardiff) or a postcode (for eg: CF10 1AJ). You will then be allowed to choose the date on which you want to stargaze. If you want to stargaze on 2nd July from 11PM in the night to 2AM in the morning of 3rd, the date selection should still be 2nd July! The sunrise and sunset time will automatically be changed based on the location/postcode and date that you have entered. 

You now have an option to select the maximum distance you are willing to drive for by using the distance slider. Alternately, if you want to see the best sites across all of UK, you can simply check the '🇬🇧 Include all of UK'  button. The moon phase and illumination will automatically be updated based on the entered date. After this, you have the option of selecting the minimum allowed light pollution quality for your chosen use-case. 

Note on lunar illumination effects: If moon illumination is greater than 50%, spotting deep sky objets like galaxies and nebulae becomes difficult. Conversely, a high moon illumination % corresponds to fuller moons, which make lunar photography interesting. 

Note on light pollution effects: Dark sites and rural sites often have the least light pollution, making them ideal for deep sky observations, milky way spotting, and astrophotography. Sites with suburban and semi-rural light pollution levels are easier to access, but have faint glows over the horizon. Urban skies are only fit for lunar and certain planetary observations. 

Please take a look at this figure by Go Stargazing showing skies corresponding to each light pollution level. 


Estimated effect of light pollution

No-Haze Stargaze has an option to filter sites by amenities (toilets) and parking features too. Once you have added all your chosen filters, click the 'Find Best Sites' button. 





Once you click on 'Find Best Sites', you will be led to a list of the 25 best possible places for you to stargaze from. Please click the '△ hide' button on top to view just the sites and their descriptions. 


Here is a screenshot from the desktop version of No-Haze Stargaze that shows the best stargazing sites based on cloud forecast, light pollution, parking and distance. If you are unsure about score calculation, please click on the small (i) tooltip next to the score to understand how it works. 

If you are more interested to see the stargazing sites closest to you, sort by 'Closest first' instead of 'Best conditions'. 

How to check stargazing conditions at your favourite sites?

If you would like to check stargazing conditions at your favourite sites, instead of checking 'by location', check 'by site name ' instead. Here is a quick example:


Through No-Haze Stargaze, we have tried to make stargazing more about the stars and less about hassle. We aim to improve every day and are constantly looking for feedback.
If you have any suggestions for us, or just want to say hi, please reach out at nohazestargaze@gmail.com. We are always happy to hear from users. 

Clear skies, 



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