Fredericton Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Fredericton

City
Fredericton
Country
Canada
Latitude
45.9636
Longitude
-66.6431

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)
18.94
Bortle class
Class 7 (Class 7)
Darkness Quotient
32%
Dataset
August 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Fredericton: The Practical Verdict

Fredericton, situated in New Brunswick, is typified as a small city set within a suburban landscape. Unfortunately, the quality of the sky for astronomical purposes is poor due to high light pollution. The brightest part of the sky is towards the south-east, with the north being marginally cleaner.

Under these conditions, the Milky Way is not visible, and realistic targets are limited to the Moon, planets, bright double stars, and open clusters. While narrowband imaging can be pursued with careful processing, visual deep-sky observation or photographing the Milky Way is not feasible.

For those seeking a more profound stargazing experience, Wickham Parish, located about 60 km to the south-east, offers a significant upgrade with considerably darker skies, optimal for serious deep-sky observing.

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
Wickham Parish, New Brunswick sits about 58 km south east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 9.9x darker.
Moderate dark window
Fredericton'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 Fredericton?

No. Fredericton is a Bortle Class 7 sky with SQM 18.94, 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 Fredericton?

Fredericton is Bortle Class 7 (SQM 18.94), a poor urban/suburban sky for astronomy.

Is Fredericton good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Fredericton 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 Fredericton good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Fredericton?

Primary targets from Fredericton 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 Fredericton?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Clarendon Parish, New Brunswick, about 53 km south south east of Fredericton, reaching Bortle 4.

When is the sky darkest in Fredericton?

The sky over Fredericton is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Fredericton getting better or worse?

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

north - excellent

Fully dark sky to the north. This is among the cleaner directions from this site.

north-north-east - excellent

The north-north-east sky is dark to the horizon with no visible artificial brightening. Faint extended objects are accessible at low elevation.

north-east - excellent

No skyglow to the north-east. Stars are visible to the naked-eye limit at all elevations in this direction.

east-north-east - excellent

Fully dark sky to the east-north-east. This is among the cleaner directions from this site.

east - excellent

Fully dark sky to the east. This is among the cleaner directions from this site.

east-south-east - good

Clean horizon to the east-south-east. Star counts remain high near the ground.

south-east - good

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

south-south-east - good

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

south - excellent

The south sky is dark to the horizon. Faint stars and the Milky Way reach the ground in this direction on clear nights.

south-south-west - excellent

The south-south-west sky is dark to the horizon with no visible artificial brightening. Faint extended objects are accessible at low elevation.

south-west - excellent

The south-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint stars and the Milky Way reach the ground in this direction on clear nights.

west-south-west - excellent

No visible light pollution in the west-south-west direction. The Milky Way structure is visible into this quarter on transparent nights.

west - good

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

west-north-west - excellent

The west-north-west sky is dark to the horizon. Faint stars and the Milky Way reach the ground in this direction on clear nights.

north-west - excellent

The north-west sky is dark to the horizon with no visible artificial brightening. Faint extended objects are accessible at low elevation.

north-north-west - excellent

No visible light pollution in the north-north-west direction. The Milky Way structure is visible into this quarter on transparent nights.

zenith - marginal

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

  • Wickham Parish, New Brunswick
    Direction
    SE
    Distance (km)
    58.4
    SQM
    21.43
    Bortle
    3
  • Clarendon Parish, New Brunswick
    Direction
    SSE
    Distance (km)
    53.1
    SQM
    21.04
    Bortle
    4
  • Brunswick Parish, New Brunswick
    Direction
    E
    Distance (km)
    82.1
    SQM
    21.39
    Bortle
    3
  • Harcourt Parish, New Brunswick
    Direction
    NE
    Distance (km)
    92.3
    SQM
    21.63
    Bortle
    3
  • Baileyville, Maine
    Direction
    SSW
    Distance (km)
    109.3
    SQM
    21.63
    Bortle
    3
  • Northesk Parish, New Brunswick
    Direction
    NNE
    Distance (km)
    154.7
    SQM
    21.56
    Bortle
    3