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)
18.91
Bortle class
Class 7 (Class 7)
Darkness Quotient
32%
Dataset
April 2026

Suburban/urban transition

Fredericton: The Practical Verdict

Fredericton, situated in the province of New Brunswick, is a small city with noticeable levels of light pollution. Overall, the urban/suburban light pollution significantly limits stargazing opportunities here.

The Milky Way is not visible from Fredericton due to its light pollution levels. The brightest celestial objects such as the Moon, planets, bright open clusters, and double stars provide the best observational targets, alongside narrowband imaging. Deep-sky objects and faint meteors remain largely inaccessible.

For those seeking darker skies, Nelson Parish, New Brunswick, located to the north-east, offers a substantial improvement with considerably darker conditions suitable for viewing fainter celestial objects and conducting broadband astrophotography.

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
Nelson Parish, New Brunswick sits about 117 km north east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 11x 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 18.91, 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 18.91), 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 Saint George Parish, New Brunswick, about 66 km south of Fredericton, reaching Bortle 3.

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?

There is not yet enough long-term data to give a confident trend for Fredericton.

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 - good

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

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 - good

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

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.

  • Saint George Parish, New Brunswick
    Direction
    S
    Distance (km)
    66.3
    SQM
    21.49
    Bortle
    3
  • Springfield Parish, New Brunswick
    Direction
    ESE
    Distance (km)
    72.5
    SQM
    21.49
    Bortle
    3
  • Chipman Parish, New Brunswick
    Direction
    ENE
    Distance (km)
    82.2
    SQM
    21.46
    Bortle
    3
  • Nelson Parish, New Brunswick
    Direction
    NE
    Distance (km)
    117.2
    SQM
    21.55
    Bortle
    3
  • Whiting, Maine
    Direction
    SSW
    Distance (km)
    137.2
    SQM
    21.70
    Bortle
    3
  • Denmark Parish, New Brunswick
    Direction
    NNW
    Distance (km)
    162.2
    SQM
    21.58
    Bortle
    3