Sherbrooke Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Sherbrooke
- City
- Sherbrooke
- Country
- Canada
- Latitude
- 45.4042
- Longitude
- -71.8929
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 18.63
- Bortle class
- Class 8 (Class 8)
- Darkness Quotient
- 29%
- Dataset
- August 2026
City sky
Sherbrooke: The Practical Verdict
Sherbrooke, located in Quebec, is a small city with a population of approximately 220,000. Despite its relatively modest size, the city is plagued by high light pollution, rendering it a poor candidate for serious stargazing. The Milky Way is not visible here, and the astral atmosphere is dominated by a notably bright urban sky background.
The observable sky from Sherbrooke is largely limited to the Moon, planets, bright stars, and double stars. Solar system events make for engaging targets, but visual deep-sky observing and broadband galaxy views should be avoided. Brightest nebulae might be captured with narrowband techniques, yet they require careful effort given the sky conditions.
For those seeking better skies, a significant upgrade can be found by travelling east south-east to Temple Intervale, Maine, about 155 km away. This site boasts much darker skies with a Bortle 3 rating and is worth 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
- Temple Intervale, Maine sits about 153 km east south east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 13x darker.
- Moderate dark window
- Sherbrooke'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 Sherbrooke?
No. Sherbrooke is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.63, 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 Sherbrooke?
Sherbrooke is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.63), a poor city sky for astronomy.
Is Sherbrooke good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Sherbrooke is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Sherbrooke good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Sherbrooke and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Sherbrooke without careful processing.
What can you observe from Sherbrooke?
Primary targets from Sherbrooke 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 Sherbrooke?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Hatley (Canton), Quebec, about 14 km south south west of Sherbrooke, reaching Bortle 6.
When is the sky darkest in Sherbrooke?
The sky over Sherbrooke is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Sherbrooke getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Sherbrooke has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - good
The north horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
north-north-east - good
Dark sky in the north-north-east direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
north-east - good
The north-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
east-north-east - good
The east-north-east horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
east - good
The east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
east-south-east - good
No noticeable light pollution to the east-south-east. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
south-east - good
Dark horizon to the south-east. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
south-south-east - good
The south-south-east sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
south - good
The south sky is dark to the horizon. Faint targets are accessible at all elevations here.
south-south-west - good
Dark sky in the south-south-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
south-west - good
The south-west horizon is dark. Faint stars are visible close to the ground.
west-south-west - good
Dark horizon to the west-south-west. Faint stars and extended objects in this direction behave much as they do overhead.
west - good
Dark sky in the west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
west-north-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the west-north-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
north-west - good
Dark sky in the north-west direction with no obvious skyglow. Suitable for faint-object work at low elevation.
north-north-west - good
No noticeable light pollution to the north-north-west. The sky in this direction is dark to the horizon.
zenith - marginal
The overhead sky background is high. Bright stars and planets are clear; faint stars are suppressed.
-
Hatley (Canton), Quebec
- Direction
- SSW
- Distance (km)
- 14
- SQM
- 20.29
- Bortle
- 6
-
Canton de Cleveland, Quebec
- Direction
- NNW
- Distance (km)
- 40.8
- SQM
- 20.56
- Bortle
- 5
-
Lefebvre, Quebec
- Direction
- WNW
- Distance (km)
- 56.1
- SQM
- 20.56
- Bortle
- 5
-
Bromont, Quebec
- Direction
- W
- Distance (km)
- 60.1
- SQM
- 20.53
- Bortle
- 5
-
Temple Intervale, Maine
- Direction
- ESE
- Distance (km)
- 152.6
- SQM
- 21.40
- Bortle
- 3
-
Livermore, New Hampshire
- Direction
- SSE
- Distance (km)
- 144
- SQM
- 20.93
- Bortle
- 4