More info on Canada’s dark sky preserves (web extra from Sky & Telescope Aug ’14 issue)

Canada_Dark_Sky_Preserves_McMahon_2014This summer, I was thrilled to have my first U.S. astronomy article published – a back-page piece on Canada’s dark sky preserves for  Sky & Telescope magazine. Below, you’ll find info and links to every single one of Canada’s “astronomy parks”, as well as info on the latest events happening at many of them. Enjoy your celestial pub-crawl of the skies under the true-north strong-&-free : )   Royal Astronomical Society of Canada recognized dark-sky preserves and other areas (where noted, a park close to a city is designated an ‘RASC Urban Star Park’)

 

MARITIME/EAST-COAST PROVINCES  dark_sky_fundy_hopewell_rocks_milky_way

Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland

Kejimkujik National Park,Nova Scotia

Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick

Kejimkujik National Park dark sky preserve McMahon laserMount Carleton Provincial Park, New Brunswick

Fundy National Park, New Brunswick

Irving Nature Park, City of Saint John, New Brunswick (‘RASC Urban Star Park’)

 

mont_megantic_mcmahonQUEBEC

Mont-Mégantic International Dark-Sky Reserve, Quebec (designation from the International Dark Sky Association)

 

ONTARIO

North Frontenac Township

Lennox-Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area (not designated by the RASC but acknowledged by Canadian astronomy journalists)

Torrance Barrens (Canada’s first dark sky preserve and second in the world)

Gordon’s Park, Manitoulin Island (the world’s first privately-owned dark sky

point-pelee-bird_sun_venus_transit_sunset_lake_erie_reflectionBluewater Outdoor Centre, near Wiarton, Ontario

Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park

Point Pelee National Park (some Southern Hemisphere objects visible in the spring here across Lake Erie)

 

grasslands_east_block_mcmahon SASKATCHEWAN (Prairies/Canadian Shield)

Grasslands National Park (arguably the darkest dark sky preserve in North America)

Cypress Hills Inter-Provincial Park, Saskatchewan/Alberta

 

ALBERTA (Prairies/Rocky Mountains)

waterton_lakes_dark_sky_preserve_cranford_campground_stargazing

Cypress Hills Inter-Provincial Park, Saskatchewan/Alberta

Elk Island National Park / Beaver Hills Dark-Sky Preserve (closest dark sky preserve to a major urban centre – Edmonton)

Athabasca_Glacier_Columbia_Icefield_Alberta_Rockies

Jasper National Park (sometimes called “The Disney World of dark sky preserves – by far the largest number of attractsions and amenities for any dark sky park in the world)


Waterton Lakes National Park (not an official RASC-designated park but an exceptionally dark mountain tourist region)

Wood Buffalo National Park, Fort Smith, Northwest Territories/Alberta border (world’s largest dark sky preserve, larger than Switzerland or the moon Mimas – aurora-viewing is superior to that near cities such as Yellowknife)

 

THE NORTH (Northwest Territories / Northern Alberta, Sask, etc…)

Wood Buffalo National Park, Fort Smith, Northwest Territories/Alberta border (world’s largest dark sky preserve, larger than Switzerland or the moon Mimas – aurora-viewing is superior to that near cities such as Yellowknife)

  • 30-seat digital planetarium in the park visitor centre
  • 3rd Annual Thebacha & Wood Buffalo Dark Sky Festival, will be hosted on August 22 – 24, 2014 in and around Fort Smith and the Park
  • 4th Annual Thebacha & Wood Buffalo Dark Sky Festival will be hosted on August 21 to 23, 2015 (further info on this will be online in 2015)
  • 2014 and 2015 aurora tours being organized with SkyNews magazine editor Peter McMahon and world-renowned aurora and astrophotographer Yuichi Takasaka – for more info, contact peter@ontarioplanetarium.com

 

BRITISH COLUMBIA (Rocky Mountains / Pacific Rim)

McDonald Park Dark-Sky Park, Fraser Valley Dark Sky Park
Cattle Point, near Victoria (‘RASC Urban Star Park’)

 

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