Kamloops Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.60

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

29%

Dataset

April 2026

City sky

Kamloops: The Practical Verdict

Kamloops is a small city located in British Columbia, offering a suburban setting with high light pollution. Night skies here are classified as poor for stargazing, with a brightness quotient coinciding with high urban illumination. The dominant limiting factor is the city's own light dome, which erases any chance of Milky Way visibility.

From Kamloops itself, visual observations are confined largely to the Moon, planets, and double stars, while bright nebulae and star clusters are achievable only with narrowband filters or careful electronic assistance. Low-surface-brightness objects such as galaxies and faint nebulae are best avoided due to the intense urban sky background.

A much darker observing site, Area P (Rivers and the Peaks), lies about 25 km to the east-north-east and provides Bortle 3 skies. This is a worthwhile upgrade for serious deep-sky enthusiasts and those seeking improved wide-field imaging conditions.

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

Area P (Rivers and the Peaks), British Columbia sits about 25 km east north east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 12x darker.

Moderate dark window

Kamloops'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 Kamloops?

No. Kamloops is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.60, 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 Kamloops?

Kamloops is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.60), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Kamloops good for stargazing?

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

Is Kamloops good for astrophotography?

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

What can you observe from Kamloops?

Primary targets from Kamloops 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 Kamloops?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Area P (Rivers and the Peaks), British Columbia, about 25 km east north east of Kamloops, reaching Bortle 3.

When is the sky darkest in Kamloops?

The sky over Kamloops is darkest around January, December. Significant summer limitation: around 50 nights per year have no true astronomical darkness.

Is light pollution in Kamloops getting better or worse?

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

• Area P (Rivers and the Peaks), British Columbia

  Direction

  ENE

  Distance (km)

  25

  SQM

  21.32

  Bortle

  3

• Area B (South Fraser Canyon/Sunshine Valley), British Columbia

  Direction

  SW

  Distance (km)

  146.7

  SQM

  20.92

  Bortle

  4

• Area C (Sasquatch Country), British Columbia

  Direction

  WSW

  Distance (km)

  173.6

  SQM

  21.33

  Bortle

  3