Parks Blog

Category: Astronomy

  • Quetico: an International Dark Sky Park

    The opportunity to look up into a beautiful starry sky has forever been a part of the Quetico Provincial Park camping experience. But did you know that on February 23, 2021, Quetico Provincial Park was officially designated as an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association? Imagine yourself lying on your back gazing up…

  • The Northern Lights

    Seeing the magnificent Northern Lights is a bucket list item for any nature lover. But did you know that the Northern Lights are caused by charged particles from the Sun? The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, is the name given to an often-ethereal band or curtain of faint light seen towards the northern horizon. Generally,…

  • Colours in the cosmos: where the beauty of nature meets the science of the cosmos

    “The heavens wheel around you, displaying to you their eternal glory and still your eye is upon the ground.” – Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy Many of us live in areas afflicted by light pollution, which prevents us from gazing at the heavens whirling around us. However, most of our northern and many other parks afford…

  • Eyes on the skies — September

    Welcome to the Ontario Parks “Eyes on the skies” series. This series covers a wide range of astronomy topics with a focus on what can be seen from the pristine skies found in our provincial parks. Many people consider September to be the finest month of the year to enjoy Ontario’s outdoors. The bugs have…

  • Eyes on the skies — August

    Welcome to the Ontario Parks “Eyes on the Skies” series. This space (<– see what we did there?) will cover a wide range of astronomy topics with a focus on what can be seen from the pristine skies found in our provincial parks. August is here at last with its fine weather, fewer mosquitos, and…

  • Eyes on the skies — June

    Welcome to the Ontario Parks “Eyes on the Skies” series. This space (<– see what we did there?) will cover a wide range of astronomy topics with a focus on what can be seen from the pristine skies found in our provincial parks. Heading outside? Here are our astronomical highlights for June, 2023:

  • Stars over Killarney 2023: colours in the cosmos

    “Stars over Killarney” is an annual festival celebrating the connection between the natural heritage of Killarney Provincial Park and astronomical knowledge. This year’s theme is “Colours in the cosmos: a celebration through paint and pixels of the beauty that surrounds us.”

  • Stories in the stars / Pride in our hearts

    Today’s post comes from Will Morin, Professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Sudbury and Bruce Waters, former educator at the McLaughlin Planetarium and founder of the Killarney Provincial Park Observatory. It’s time we learn the astronomical traditions of the diverse Indigenous cultures in the Americas.

  • Eyes on the skies — April

    Welcome to the Ontario Parks “Eyes on the Skies” series. This space (see what we did there?) will cover a wide range of astronomy topics with a focus on what can be seen from the pristine skies found in our provincial parks. For those of us in Ontario, April is that transition month between winter…

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