Kamloops Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.66

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

29%

Dataset

May 2026

City sky

Kamloops: The Practical Verdict

Kamloops is a small city nestled in British Columbia, surrounded by a suburban environment. The city sky suffers from high light pollution, making it a poor location for serious stargazing. The main factor limiting visibility here is the urban sky brightness that erases the Milky Way entirely.

From within Kamloops, observers should focus on bright celestial objects. The Moon, planets, and bright stars are viable targets. Even narrowband projects need careful management, while attempting to observe faint deep-sky objects or the Milky Way is not advisable. The eastern horizon is brighter, making the southern direction the better choice for escaping urban glow.

For a meaningful improvement, heading to Area J (Copper Desert Country) to the south offers a chance to escape the city's limitations. This location is about 30 km away and presents substantially darker skies suitable for deep-sky observing.

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

Area J (Copper Desert Country), British Columbia sits about 28 km south and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 13x darker.

Moderate dark window

Kamloops'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 Kamloops?

No. Kamloops is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.66, 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 Kamloops?

Kamloops is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.66), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Kamloops good for stargazing?

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

Is Kamloops good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Kamloops?

Primary targets from Kamloops 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 Kamloops?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Area J (Copper Desert Country), British Columbia, about 28 km south of Kamloops, reaching Bortle 3.

When is the sky darkest in Kamloops?

The sky over Kamloops is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 50 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Kamloops getting better or worse?

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

• Area J (Copper Desert Country), British Columbia

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  27.5

  SQM

  21.45

  Bortle

  3

• Whistler, British Columbia

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  193.9

  SQM

  21.59

  Bortle

  3

• Area A (Kicking Horse/Kinbasket Lake), British Columbia

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  254.9

  SQM

  21.77

  Bortle

  2