Lévis Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.42

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

27%

Dataset

August 2026

City sky

Lévis: The Practical Verdict

Lévis, a small city in Quebec, offers limited stargazing opportunities due to its high light pollution. The urban sky is too bright for deep-sky objects, with a poor city sky rating overall. The most significant limiting factor is the Milky Way's invisibility because of the bright sky background.

From Lévis, observational practicality revolves around brighter celestial objects. The Moon, planets, and bright stars remain accessible, and narrowband imaging can be pursued, albeit with care. However, deep-sky visual observations and broadband galaxies are difficult due to the pervasive light interference.

For a better stargazing experience, consider driving to the Bortle 3 sites about 130 km to the north-east for darker skies, particularly favourable for serious 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

131 km NE sits about 131 km north east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 19x darker.

Moderate dark window

Lévis'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 Lévis?

No. Lévis is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.42, 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 Lévis?

Lévis is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.42), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Lévis good for stargazing?

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

Is Lévis good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Lévis?

Primary targets from Lévis 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 Lévis?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is 63 km S, about 63 km south of Lévis, reaching Bortle 5.

When is the sky darkest in Lévis?

The sky over Lévis is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Lévis getting better or worse?

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

• 66 km NE

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  66.1

  SQM

  20.98

  Bortle

  4

• 63 km S

  Direction

  S

  Distance (km)

  63

  SQM

  20.39

  Bortle

  5

• 79 km ENE

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  79.1

  SQM

  20.60

  Bortle

  5

• 131 km NE

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  130.8

  SQM

  21.61

  Bortle

  3

• 209 km SSE

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  208.5

  SQM

  21.42

  Bortle

  3