• Sulby Reservoir (car park) | QR | SV
  OS ref: SC 37354 89038
  Lat: 54.271026 | Lon: -4.499272 | Alt: 198m
  SQM: 21.5, average of five readings taken 2012-11-18 00:000Z
• Port Soderick Brooghs (Little Ness car park) | QR | SV
  OS ref: SC 36479 73060
  Lat: 54.127286 | Lon: -4.503917 | Alt: 47m
  SQM: 20.8, average of five readings taken 2012-11-17 21:00Z
• Axnfell Plantation (car park) | QR | SV
  OS ref: SC 42380 83703
  Lat: 54.224723 | Lon: -4.419293 | Alt: 163m
  SQM: 21.4, average of five readings taken 2012-11-18 00:15Z
• Smeale (landward end near the signage) | QR | SV
  OS ref: NX 41364 02975
  Lat: 54.397453 | Lon: -4.445107 | Alt: 4m
  SQM: 21.5, average of five readings taken 2012-11-17 23:25Z
• Niarbyl Bay Restaurant (car park) | QR | SV
  OS ref: SC 21282 77746
  Lat: 54.164317 | Lon: -4.738991 | Alt: 27m
  SQM: 21.4, average of five readings taken 2012-11-17 22:10Z
• The Sound Restaurant (side car park) QR | SV
  OS ref: SC 17331 66738
  Lat: 54.064109 | Lon: -4.792775 | Alt: 19m
  SQM: 21.4, average of five readings taken 2012-11-17 21:40Z
• Fort Island, Langness (car park) QR | SV
  OS ref: SC 29472 67382
  Lat: 54.074053 | Lon: -4.607837 | Alt: 3m
  SQM: 21.2, average of five readings taken 2012-11-17 21:20Z

SQM reading methodology: How to carry out a dark sky survey
OS ref, Lat:/Lon: and QR codes gridreferencefinder.com
Alt: Google Earth, Map images Google Maps
ISO time and date notation employed

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The Isle of Man was visited in May 2012 by Alan Brown, the North West Co-ordinator from the Dark Skies Discovery Initiative.

The purpose of his visit was to identify dark sky sites that included adequate parking facilities, level ground for disabled access, and were available to the public on a 24/7 basis.

After touring the Island with our Chairman, Howard Parkin, acting in his capacity as Public Services Officer for Manx National Heritage, seven such sites were identified. Listed on the left, all have been awarded the Dark Skies Discovery Initiative highest rating of 'Two Stars'. This status is only awarded to those dark sky sites from where the Milky Way can be clearly seen - cloud permitting, naturally!

Readers should note that the seven Dark Sky Observing locations enjoy distinctly different advantages and are therefore listed in no particular order. No one location will always be "the best". Proximity, horizon direction, on site facilities, as well as SQM readings will all have a bearing when deciding upon the location to observe from.