Tag: astronomy

  • Preserving international dark skies at Quetico

    Today’s post comes from Chris Stromberg, Acting Backcountry Operations Specialist at Quetico Provincial Park and Coordinator for the Heart of the Continent Partnership. This past July, four teams of Ontario Parks and US Forest Service wilderness rangers / park wardens went into the woods to observe the nights of the new moon. Along with their…

  • Stars over Killarney 2019: a celebration of Indigenous astronomy

    Did you know that 2019 is the United Nations year of Indigenous Languages? In celebration, Killarney Provincial Park and our Wiikwemkoong partners at Point Grondine Park, along with our colleagues at Science North, are thrilled to present Stars over Killarney 2019: a weekend of Indigenous astronomy and cultural learning!

  • Nebulae of the night skies

    When looking towards the centre of our Milky Way Galaxy, we can catch sight of many beautiful objects in the sky. M8 (the Lagoon Nebula) and M20 (the Trifid Nebula) are just two of the notable objects that can be seen with a large pair of binoculars or a telescope.

  • Featured constellations: an archer, a dolphin and a goat

    In last month’s featured constellations, we discussed the Summer Triangle, Scorpius, and Scutum. This month, we’ll discuss Sagittarius, Capricornus, and Delphinus. Last month’s constellations are included on the sky chart below for reference.

  • 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.

  • 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! 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.

  • See the stars at Killarney's (upgraded!) observatory

    Did you know Killarney is one of only two provincial parks with an observatory? And the park observatory, which hosts a variety of astronomy programs throughout the summer, recently got an upgrade!

  • 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…

  • 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…

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