Charlottetown Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Charlottetown

City
Charlottetown
Country
Canada
Latitude
46.2382
Longitude
-63.1311

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
19.00
Bortle class
Class 7 (Class 7)
Darkness Quotient
33%
Dataset
August 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Charlottetown: The Practical Verdict

Charlottetown, the capital city of Prince Edward Island, suffers from high light pollution, making it a less than ideal spot for stargazing. With a Bortle Class 7 sky, the overall quality for astronomy is poor, and the Milky Way is not visible. The primary challenge here is the level of urban and suburban glow that obscures faint celestial objects.

From this location, stargazers should focus on bright and easily recognisable objects. The Moon, planets, and bright double stars remain visible, and narrowband imaging of bright open clusters is still possible with careful processing. However, visual deep-sky observing is impractical, and broadband galaxies and faint meteors are better left for darker sites.

For those seeking improved conditions, a notable upgrade is available at Martinvale, Prince Edward Island, approximately 40 km east north-east. This area offers a class 3 Bortle sky, providing a significant improvement for deep-sky observations.

At a Glance

Overall
Poor urban/suburban sky - This is a poor sky for astronomy. The Moon, planets, and a few bright objects remain viable, but deep-sky work is difficult.
Milky Way
Not visible - The Milky Way is not realistically visible from this level of light pollution.
Best targets from here
Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing
Do not prioritise
visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, Milky Way photography
Best nearby upgrade
Martinvale, Prince Edward Island sits about 38 km east north east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 11x darker.
Moderate dark window
Charlottetown'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 Charlottetown?

No. Charlottetown is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 19.00, 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 Charlottetown?

Charlottetown is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 19.00), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Charlottetown good for stargazing?

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

Is Charlottetown good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Charlottetown and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Narrowband imaging of bright emission nebulae remains viable from Charlottetown with appropriate Ha or OIII filters.

What can you observe from Charlottetown?

Primary targets from Charlottetown include Moon, planets, bright double stars, bright open clusters, narrowband imaging with careful processing. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Charlottetown?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is New Argyle, Prince Edward Island, about 15 km west south west of Charlottetown, reaching Bortle 4.

When is the sky darkest in Charlottetown?

The sky over Charlottetown is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Charlottetown getting better or worse?

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

north - excellent

Dark sky to the north horizon. The Milky Way can be traced to the ground in this direction.

north-north-east - excellent

The north-north-east horizon is fully dark. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground and the Milky Way reaches the horizon on clear nights.

north-east - excellent

The north-east horizon is fully dark. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground and the Milky Way reaches the horizon on clear nights.

east-north-east - excellent

The east-north-east horizon is fully dark. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground and the Milky Way reaches the horizon on clear nights.

east - excellent

Dark sky to the east horizon. The Milky Way can be traced to the ground in this direction.

east-south-east - excellent

Dark sky to the east-south-east horizon. The Milky Way can be traced to the ground in this direction.

south-east - excellent

The south-east horizon is dark to the unaided eye. Faint stars are visible at the lowest elevations.

south-south-east - excellent

No artificial glow on the south-south-east horizon. Faint deep-sky objects in this direction are accessible at low elevation.

south - excellent

Clean, fully dark horizon to the south. Star counts remain high right down to the ground.

south-south-west - excellent

The south-south-west horizon is fully dark. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground and the Milky Way reaches the horizon on clear nights.

south-west - excellent

No artificial glow on the south-west horizon. Faint deep-sky objects in this direction are accessible at low elevation.

west-south-west - excellent

No artificial glow on the west-south-west horizon. Faint deep-sky objects in this direction are accessible at low elevation.

west - excellent

Clean, fully dark horizon to the west. Star counts remain high right down to the ground.

west-north-west - excellent

Dark sky to the west-north-west horizon. The Milky Way can be traced to the ground in this direction.

north-west - excellent

Dark sky to the north-west horizon. The Milky Way can be traced to the ground in this direction.

north-north-west - excellent

Dark sky to the north-north-west horizon. The Milky Way can be traced to the ground in this direction.

zenith - fair

Moderate light pollution overhead. The Milky Way cannot be seen and the star field is sparser than at a dark site.

  • New Argyle, Prince Edward Island
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    14.6
    SQM
    21.21
    Bortle
    4
  • Afton Road, Prince Edward Island
    Direction
    NE
    Distance (km)
    20.1
    SQM
    21.31
    Bortle
    3
  • Martinvale, Prince Edward Island
    Direction
    ENE
    Distance (km)
    37.5
    SQM
    21.57
    Bortle
    3
  • Bellevue, Prince Edward Island
    Direction
    ESE
    Distance (km)
    34.3
    SQM
    21.20
    Bortle
    4
  • 537, Prince Edward Island
    Direction
    NW
    Distance (km)
    40
    SQM
    21.15
    Bortle
    4
  • Botsford Parish, New Brunswick
    Direction
    WSW
    Distance (km)
    62.2
    SQM
    21.47
    Bortle
    3