St. John's Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.57

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

28%

Dataset

May 2026

City sky

St. John's: The Practical Verdict

St. John's in Newfoundland and Labrador is a small coastal city with significant light pollution, making the sky far from ideal for astronomical observations. The urban brightness results in a poor city sky, where the Milky Way is completely obscured.

From here, the best observations include the Moon, planets, and bright stars; anything more is severely restricted. Visual deep-sky observing is impractical, as the urban light washes out all but the clearest objects, like double stars and some solar system events.

For a meaningful viewing experience, consider travelling north north west to Unincorporated Newfoundland. It's about a two-hour drive to a location with much reduced light pollution and access to fainter targets.

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

Unincorporated Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador sits about 54 km north north west and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 15x darker.

Moderate dark window

St. John's'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 St. John's?

No. St. John's is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.57, 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 St. John's?

St. John's is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.57), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is St. John's good for stargazing?

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

Is St. John's good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from St. John's?

Primary targets from St. John's 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 St. John's?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Portugal Cove - St. Philip's, Newfoundland and Labrador, about 8 km west north west of St. John's, reaching Bortle 6.

When is the sky darkest in St. John's?

The sky over St. John's is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in St. John's getting better or worse?

Long-term light pollution over St. John's has been broadly stable across the available measurements.

• Portugal Cove - St. Philip's, Newfoundland and Labrador

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  7.5

  SQM

  19.94

  Bortle

  6

• Pouch Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  19.6

  SQM

  20.18

  Bortle

  6

• Unincorporated Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador

  Direction

  NNW

  Distance (km)

  53.9

  SQM

  21.49

  Bortle

  3

• Unincorporated Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador

  Direction

  SSW

  Distance (km)

  60.1

  SQM

  21.38

  Bortle

  3

• Unincorporated Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador

  Direction

  W

  Distance (km)

  56.9

  SQM

  20.90

  Bortle

  4

• Colinet, Newfoundland and Labrador

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  75.8

  SQM

  21.45

  Bortle

  3