Roseville Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.25

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

25%

Dataset

July 2026

City sky

Roseville: The Practical Verdict

Roseville, a small suburban city in California, experiences high light pollution due to its proximity to Sacramento to the south-west. This makes for a poor city sky where the Milky Way is completely erased. The conditions restrict roseville stargazers primarily to the brighter objects such as the Moon, planets, and double stars.

Observing here means prioritising easy targets like the Moon and planets, while faint deep-sky objects remain out of reach. Narrowband imaging is possible with care, especially on the brightest nebulae, but broadband photography would be overwhelmed by the urban skyglow.

For those in pursuit of a deeper sky, the Tedoc Gap Road in California offers a significant upgrade, located roughly 220 km north-west. This destination provides a meaningfully darker site with Bortle 4 conditions, making it worthy of the drive 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

Tedoc Gap Road, California sits about 220 km north west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 16x darker.

Good dark window

Roseville'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 Roseville?

No. Roseville is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.25, 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 Roseville?

Roseville is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.25), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Roseville good for stargazing?

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

Is Roseville good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Roseville?

Primary targets from Roseville 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 Roseville?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Kempton Road, California, about 25 km north north west of Roseville, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in Roseville?

The sky over Roseville is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Roseville getting better or worse?

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

• Kempton Road, California

  Direction

  NNW

  Distance (km)

  25.4

  SQM

  20.02

  Bortle

  6

• Camanche Parkway North, California

  Direction

  SSE

  Distance (km)

  63

  SQM

  20.16

  Bortle

  6

• Nice, California

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  141.7

  SQM

  21.26

  Bortle

  4

• John Hoffnagle Loop, California

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  104.4

  SQM

  20.30

  Bortle

  6

• Holland Tract Road, California

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  87

  SQM

  19.66

  Bortle

  6

• Tedoc Gap Road, California

  Direction

  NW

  Distance (km)

  219.5

  SQM

  21.27

  Bortle

  4