The Lake Superior Provincial Park Dark Sky Preserve

On July 17, 2018, Lake Superior Provincial Park was officially recognized as a nationally certified Dark Sky Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, becoming our second provincial park to earn this prestigious designation.

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The Killarney Provincial Park Dark Sky Preserve

In 2018, Killarney Provincial Park became Ontario’s first provincial park to be designated as a Dark Sky Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada!

Dark Sky Preserve badge

We are committed to the protection and preservation of our province’s biodiversity. The night skies in their natural splendour are an important part of that protection.

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Astronomy for beginners

Learning about the sun, moon, stars, planets, and beyond is a rewarding experience that makes your park visit all the richer.

Being able to identify the stars and constellations brings a familiarity with the mysteries of the cosmos. Knowledgeable observers may even use the stars to navigate, just as our ancestors have for thousands of years.

But where to get started?

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Zodiacal light and the gegenschein

The importance of having dark sky preserves cannot be understated.

In addition to the many benefits already described previously in our blog, you can see many things that others can’t from the light-polluted skies of our urban and, increasingly, our rural locations.

The zodiacal light and the gegenschein are two phenomena known for centuries, but only visible in dark skies with a good western or eastern horizon.

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Observing the origins of the universe

The beginning(s) of our universe has long stirred deep philosophical questions.

How did we get here? What causes the sun or the stars to move? If time had a beginning, what was there before that beginning?

These are all great questions, and the answers have historically been provided by spiritual as well as scientific means. Both types of answers provide a great value and continue to play a role for humanity.

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Stars over Killarney 2018

What happens when two great organizations work together to promote astronomy and dark skies? An incredible experience that captivated visitors from all over Ontario and beyond.

On September 22, 2018, we launched Ontario Parks’ first Dark-Sky Preserve in Killarney Provincial Park (the other is in Lake Superior Provincial Park) with a special “Stars over Killarney” program. Joining us as co-hosts for this special event were our friends at Science North, one of Canada’s best hands-on science museums.

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