Burnaby Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Burnaby

City
Burnaby
Country
Canada
Latitude
49.2488
Longitude
-122.9805

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
18.10
Bortle class
Class 8 (Class 8)
Darkness Quotient
24%
Dataset
April 2026

City sky

Burnaby: The Practical Verdict

Burnaby, situated in British Columbia, is a mid-sized city with suburban characteristics and substantial light pollution from both local development and nearby Vancouver west-north-west of here. The sky is rated as poor for stargazing, with light pollution erasing the Milky Way and severely limiting deep-sky observations.

Targets more reliably visible include the Moon, planets, bright stars, and double stars. Narrowband imaging may be possible with care, but broadband imaging and visual deep-sky observation are untenable under these conditions. The west-south-west horizon is especially bright, while the north-north-east offers cleaner views.

For darker skies, Clallam County in Washington, south-west of Burnaby, offers a much stronger observing location accessible with a longer drive. It presents Bortle 2 conditions, well-suited to serious deep-sky astronomy.

At a Glance

Overall
Poor city sky - This is a poor city sky. The Milky Way is not visible and most deep-sky observing is unrealistic from the location itself.
Milky Way
Not visible - The Milky Way is erased by the bright urban sky background.
Best targets from here
Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events, narrowband imaging only with care
Do not prioritise
visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, widefield Milky Way
Best nearby upgrade
Clallam County, Washington sits about 167 km south west and reaches Bortle 2, roughly 29x darker.
Moderate dark window
Burnaby's longest dark windows fall in December and January, with the shortest nights around June and July. Plan deep-sky sessions around the autumn and winter months for the best combination of long nights and true astronomical darkness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Burnaby?

No. Burnaby is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.10, so the Milky Way is not visible from the city. For Milky Way photography, look for a Bortle 4 or darker site.

What Bortle class is Burnaby?

Burnaby is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.10), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Burnaby good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Burnaby is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.

Is Burnaby good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Burnaby and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Burnaby without careful processing.

What can you observe from Burnaby?

Primary targets from Burnaby include Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Burnaby?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Area B (Halfmoon Bay), British Columbia, about 58 km west north west of Burnaby, reaching Bortle 4.

When is the sky darkest in Burnaby?

The sky over Burnaby is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Burnaby getting better or worse?

Long-term light pollution over Burnaby has been broadly stable across the available measurements.

north - good

No visible glow on the north horizon. Stars are clear down to low elevation in this direction.

north-north-east - good

The north-north-east sky shows no obvious glow at ground level. Faint stars are clear at low elevation.

north-east - good

The north-east sky shows no obvious glow at ground level. Faint stars are clear at low elevation.

east-north-east - marginal

A soft but obvious glow marks the east-north-east horizon. The lowest 15-20 degrees of sky in this direction are degraded.

east - marginal

The lower east sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.

east-south-east - marginal

Moderate brightening on the east-south-east horizon. Star counts at low elevation here are reduced.

south-east - marginal

The lower south-east sky is moderately light-polluted. Useful for bright targets above about 20 degrees only.

south-south-east - marginal

Moderate brightening on the south-south-east horizon. Star counts at low elevation here are reduced.

south - fair

Mild brightening on the south horizon. Faint stars at the very lowest elevation are dimmed; otherwise unaffected.

south-south-west - marginal

Persistent skyglow on the south-south-west horizon. Faint stars near the ground in this direction are lost.

south-west - marginal

Moderate brightening on the south-west horizon. Star counts at low elevation here are reduced.

west-south-west - poor

The west-south-west horizon is bright with artificial light. Only stars brighter than magnitude 3 are visible at low elevation.

west - marginal

Moderate brightening on the west horizon. Star counts at low elevation here are reduced.

west-north-west - fair

Subtle skyglow on the west-north-west horizon. Faint stars below about 10 degrees here are slightly suppressed.

north-west - fair

A small artificial brightening near the north-west horizon. Star counts in this direction remain high above the lowest elevations.

north-north-west - good

Clean, dark sky to the north-north-west. No visible artificial light source affects this quarter.

zenith - marginal

Strong skyglow overhead. The Milky Way is not visible and faint stars are largely absent.

  • Area B (Halfmoon Bay), British Columbia
    Direction
    WNW
    Distance (km)
    58
    SQM
    21.17
    Bortle
    4
  • Port Stanley, Washington
    Direction
    S
    Distance (km)
    79.5
    SQM
    20.83
    Bortle
    4
  • Area B (Shawnigan Lake), British Columbia
    Direction
    SSW
    Distance (km)
    82.5
    SQM
    20.89
    Bortle
    4
  • Area D (Texada Island), British Columbia
    Direction
    WNW
    Distance (km)
    106.5
    SQM
    21.60
    Bortle
    3
  • Area F (Cowichan Lake South / Skutz Falls), British Columbia
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    117.3
    SQM
    21.48
    Bortle
    3
  • Clallam County, Washington
    Direction
    SW
    Distance (km)
    167.3
    SQM
    21.74
    Bortle
    2