Enjoy the stars under the Alberta sky this summer! This season marks the best time to go stargazing in Canada, and Edmonton is a great place to do it.
The summer brings warm weather, making it easy to stay out in the late evenings when the sun goes down. It’s the time of year when the sky showcases some of its most magnificent constellations, even providing the chance to spot some of the zodiacs, like Scorpius and Sagittarius.
In this list we’ve compiled, you can discover spots within the city and ones a short drive away, all with the same opportunity to see the stars.
Here are some of the best spots to go stargazing in and around Edmonton.
The Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve was established in 2006 in partnership with Alberta Parks to conserve biodiversity and cultural diversity within the area. Located just east of Edmonton, this preserve has some of the best stargazing spots in the region.
Dark-sky preserves are areas, typically surrounding a park or observatory, that restrict or reduce light pollution to maintain and protect naturally dark night skies.
Throughout this preserve, spectacular night sky views can be enjoyed, with designated viewing spots available for your convenience.
Elk Island National Park
Elk Island is easily one of the best places around Edmonton to catch a peek at the wonders the sky has to offer. While any part of the national park is a great spot, Astotin Lake is a recommended viewing point for the best starry skies.
At the Astotin Lake Campground, visitors can utilize picnic tables and fire pits provided for their evening of stargazing.
Where: Directions to Astotin Lake
Miquelon Lake Provincial Park
This provincial park, surrounded by forest, is a popular getaway at all times of the year for hiking, mountain biking, and skiing. Miquelon Lake Provincial Park is also where the Hesje Observatory calls home.
For $15, visitors can drop into the University of Alberta’s Hesje Observatory, an ideal place for an astronomical observatory featuring two telescopes. The current observatory schedule is available on the University of Alberta’s website.
Where: Hesje Observatory — Township Rd. 493A, Kingman, Alta.
Blackfoot Dark Site
The Blackfoot Dark Site is part of the Blackfoot Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area. This dark site is the most popular with both members of the RASC and the general public.
This dark site is the perfect spot for a place completely devoid of light pollution. For this reason, this dark site provides the best opportunity to take in the cosmos.
Dark sites have etiquette to follow, so be sure you’re familiar with the local rules.
Where: Directions
In and around Edmonton
RASC Observatory — TELUS World of Science
The RASC Observatory is located in Coronation Park, just southeast of the TELUS World of Science.
Depending on weather and temperature conditions, the RASC Observatory offers free public observing throughout the year. At this observatory, visitors can regularly view the Sun, the Moon, various planets, stars, galaxies, and nebulae. Summer hours of operation mean the observatory is open daily, weather permitting.
The observatory is operated by volunteers from the RASC (Royal Astronomical Society of Canada) Edmonton Centre and augmented by TELUS World of Science staff and volunteers, who share their knowledge and love of astronomy with the public.
Where: Coronation Park — 11425 142nd St. NW, Edmonton, Alta.
Lakeland Provincial Park
Alberta’s Lakeland Provincial Park and Recreation Area was designated as a RASC Dark-Sky Preserve in 2016. This park offers a few first-come, first-served campsites, a large backcountry trail network, as well as Pinehurst Lake Campground, a reservable camp location.
Where: 13 kilometres east of Lac La Biche on Hwy. 663 and 7 east on the access road.
Discover your inner astronomer today!
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