With a nickname like “the big smoke”, it is no surprise that stargazing isn’t an activity that many Londoners get to enjoy at home. However, not all boroughs are made equal and where you live in London can actually affect your chances of seeing the stars.
A new study has revealed the best (and worst) locations for stargazing from the comfort of your own back garden in London.
The research, conducted by The Paint Shed, analysed several data points such as the access to private gardens, air pollution, light pollution and precipitation to discover which London boroughs came out on top.
Kensington and Chelsea is the best borough for stargazing from home!
Kensington and Chelsea came out on top out of the London Boroughs, with residents here being the most likely to see the stars from their own gardens.
The south-east London Borough of Bexley came in second and Havering in third. The two factors that let these – and many of the other – London boroughs down are the air pollution figures and the artificial brightness levels.
London boroughs ranked from best to worst for stargazing
Rank | London borough | Garden rank | Air pollution rank | Annual rainfall rank | Days of rainfall rank | Artificial brightness rank | Total score |
1 | Kensington and Chelsea | 4 | 176 | 34 | 27 | 174 | 415 |
2 | Bexley | 146 | 162 | 4 | 3 | 132 | 447 |
3 | Havering | 136 | 149 | 14 | 43 | 110 | 452 |
4 | Hammersmith and Fulham | 58 | 170 | 34 | 27 | 171 | 460 |
5 | Lewisham | 135 | 173 | 4 | 3 | 159 | 474 |
6 | Richmond upon Thames | 118 | 152 | 34 | 27 | 145 | 476 |
7 | Redbridge | 174 | 164 | 4 | 3 | 142 | 487 |
8 | Barking and Dagenham | 175 | 172 | 4 | 3 | 151 | 505 |
9 | Greenwich | 162 | 165 | 4 | 3 | 173 | 507 |
9 | Kingston upon Thames | 164 | 151 | 34 | 27 | 131 | 507 |
11 | Merton | 140 | 166 | 34 | 27 | 143 | 510 |
12 | Lambeth | 160 | 179 | 4 | 3 | 179 | 525 |
13 | Hounslow | 171 | 154 | 34 | 27 | 149 | 535 |
14 | Ealing | 158 | 158 | 34 | 27 | 161 | 538 |
15 | Hillingdon | 165 | 146 | 57 | 49 | 123 | 540 |
16 | Tower Hamlets | 181 | 180 | 4 | 3 | 177 | 545 |
17 | City of London | 182 | 181 | 4 | 3 | 182 | 552 |
18 | Wandsworth | 161 | 169 | 34 | 27 | 167 | 558 |
19 | Brent | 173 | 161 | 34 | 27 | 166 | 561 |
20 | Newham | 179 | 182 | 21 | 21 | 168 | 571 |
21 | Harrow | 170 | 147 | 71 | 59 | 141 | 588 |
22 | Enfield | 167 | 159 | 89 | 71 | 105 | 591 |
23 | Barnet | 172 | 150 | 89 | 71 | 136 | 618 |
24 | Haringey | 143 | 167 | 89 | 71 | 162 | 632 |
25 | Waltham Forest | 159 | 171 | 89 | 71 | 160 | 650 |
26 | Sutton | 144 | 156 | 140 | 116 | 115 | 671 |
27 | Westminster | 163 | 174 | 89 | 71 | 180 | 677 |
28 | Bromley | 141 | 148 | 140 | 116 | 134 | 679 |
29 | Islington | 169 | 175 | 89 | 71 | 178 | 682 |
30 | Camden | 180 | 168 | 89 | 71 | 175 | 683 |
31 | Hackney | 178 | 178 | 89 | 71 | 176 | 692 |
32 | Southwark | 177 | 177 | 89 | 71 | 181 | 695 |
33 | Croydon | 151 | 163 | 140 | 116 | 148 | 718 |
The 20 London Boroughs with the WORST air
The worst offender for air pollution in London was Newham, which is situated on the borders of inner and outer East London, with a PM2.5 level of 10.62.
Second was the City of London, which – considering the level of traffic wasn’t surprising – and third was Tower Hamlets.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is an air pollutant that is a concern for people’s health when levels in air are high. PM2.5 are tiny particles in the air that reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated, which is why it can affect the visibility of the night sky.
The WHO has reduced its annual recommended limit for PM2.5 from ten to five micrograms per cubic metre, meaning that most of the London Boroughs are actually over or close to double the recommended limit.
Rank | London Borough | PM2.5 2020 (total) |
1 | Newham | 10.62 |
2 | City of London | 10.23 |
3 | Tower Hamlets | 10.23 |
4 | Lambeth | 10.16 |
5 | Hackney | 10.13 |
6 | Southwark | 10.12 |
7 | Kensington and Chelsea | 10.07 |
8 | Islington | 10.06 |
9 | Westminster | 10.06 |
10 | Lewisham | 10.02 |
11 | Barking and Dagenham | 10.00 |
12 | Waltham Forest | 9.99 |
13 | Hammersmith and Fulham | 9.93 |
14 | Wandsworth | 9.92 |
15 | Camden | 9.75 |
16 | Haringey | 9.74 |
17 | Merton | 9.73 |
18 | Greenwich | 9.70 |
19 | Redbridge | 9.70 |
20 | Croydon | 9.31 |
Upcoming 2022 special moons to look out for:
Buck Moon: 13 July (7.38pm)
Sturgeon Moon: 12 August (2.36am)
Corn/Harvest Moon: 10 September (10.59am)
Hunter’s Moon: 9 October (9.55pm)
Beaver Moon: 8 November (11.02am)
Cold Moon: 08 December (4.08am)
How to set up your garden for stargazing
Michael Rolland, DIY expert and MD of The Paint Shed gave some tips to help stargazing fans set up their gardens for a better viewing experience.
He said: “When it comes to stargazing the darker the better, this means if you want to improve your experience of stargazing from your back garden you will need to choose a dark fence paint, or exterior paint if you have brick walls surrounding your garden. Darker colours absorb any excess light and will stop as much reflection, making for a better stargazing experience.
“The same applies for painted patios; if you have a white painted patio, you may want to consider a dark outdoor rug or painting the patio a darker shade.”
Find out more about The Paint Shed here.
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