Québec City Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Light pollution and stargazing locations near Québec City

City
Québec City
Country
Canada
Latitude
46.8139
Longitude
-71.2080

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsecÂČ)
17.67
Bortle class
Class 9 (Class 9)
Darkness Quotient
20%
Dataset
August 2026

Inner city sky

Québec City: The Practical Verdict

Québec City, located in the province of Quebec, is a mid-size urban area with notable light pollution. Astronomical observation within the city itself is profoundly limited, with severe urban sky conditions effectively obscuring all but the brightest celestial objects. The Milky Way is not visible here due to the city's extreme light pollution levels.

In these conditions, observers aiming for the most practical targets should focus on the Moon, planets, and bright double stars. Solar system events remain accessible, though caution is needed for more specialised imaging like narrowband. Pursuing deep-sky objects or wide Milky Way vistas should be avoided, as the light pollution will overwhelm these fainter targets.

For a substantial improvement in sky quality, a drive to Baie-Saint-Paul, about 85 km north-east, is recommended. This site offers far darker skies, providing a worthwhile opportunity for those interested in deep-sky observations.

At a Glance

Overall
Severe urban sky - This is a severely light-polluted urban sky. Only the Moon, planets, bright stars, and a few specialist targets remain practical.
Milky Way
Not visible - The Milky Way is not visible from this sky.
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
Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec sits about 85 km north east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 33x darker.
Moderate dark window
Québec City'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 Québec City?

No. Québec City is a Bortle Class 9 sky with SQM 17.67, 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 Québec City?

Québec City is Bortle Class 9 (SQM 17.67), a severe urban sky for astronomy.

Is Québec City good for stargazing?

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

Is Québec City good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Québec City?

Primary targets from Québec City 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 Québec City?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Sainte-Famille-de-l'Île-d'OrlĂ©ans, Quebec, about 23 km north east of QuĂ©bec City, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Québec City?

The sky over Québec City is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Québec City getting better or worse?

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

north - good

Clean horizon to the north. Star counts remain high near the ground.

north-north-east - good

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

north-east - good

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

east-north-east - good

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

east - good

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

east-south-east - good

The east-south-east horizon is free of artificial brightening. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground.

south-east - good

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

south-south-east - good

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

south - fair

Subtle skyglow on the south horizon. Faint stars below about 10 degrees here are slightly suppressed.

south-south-west - fair

Mild brightening on the south-south-west horizon. Faint stars at the very lowest elevation are dimmed; otherwise unaffected.

south-west - fair

The south-west horizon shows a slight brightening. Workable for most targets above about 10 degrees elevation.

west-south-west - fair

The west-south-west horizon is mostly dark with a hint of light pollution. Faint stars are accessible above about 10 degrees.

west - fair

The west horizon shows a slight brightening. Workable for most targets above about 10 degrees elevation.

west-north-west - fair

The west-north-west horizon shows a slight brightening. Workable for most targets above about 10 degrees elevation.

north-west - fair

Subtle skyglow on the north-west horizon. Faint stars below about 10 degrees here are slightly suppressed.

north-north-west - good

The north-north-west horizon is free of artificial brightening. Faint stars are visible to within a few degrees of the ground.

zenith - poor

Overhead is dominated by skyglow. Only the brightest stars and planets are clear.

  • Sainte-Famille-de-l'Île-d'OrlĂ©ans, Quebec
    Direction
    NE
    Distance (km)
    23.2
    SQM
    20.00
    Bortle
    6
  • Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec
    Direction
    NE
    Distance (km)
    84.6
    SQM
    21.47
    Bortle
    3
  • Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Quebec
    Direction
    SW
    Distance (km)
    83.5
    SQM
    20.42
    Bortle
    5
  • Elliottsville Township, Maine
    Direction
    SE
    Distance (km)
    205.2
    SQM
    21.35
    Bortle
    3
  • Lac-Ashuapmushuan, Quebec
    Direction
    NW
    Distance (km)
    258
    SQM
    21.46
    Bortle
    3
  • Lac-Bazinet, Quebec
    Direction
    WNW
    Distance (km)
    259.6
    SQM
    21.36
    Bortle
    3