Jasper National Park be 11,000 sq km of protected, clean wildness, e dey give stargazers plus one unique place to enjoy.
E be fine October evening and music from Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Strings dey calm the wahala for the crowd. Dusk don land for Jasper National Park, and I dey under blanket dey enjoy, dey look up at plenty stars wey dey shine for Milky Way glow. Just below, snow-dusted peaks dey rise go heaven and the clear, blue waters of Lac Beauvert dey mix with dark night.
Symphony Under the Stars be one of plenty events for the yearly Dark Sky Festival (17 October to 2 November 2025) wey dey happen for Jasper National Park, one of di biggest and easiest dark sky places for di world.
Jasper be Dark Sky Preserve since 2011 when Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) give am that label. E cover 11,000 sq km wey no light pollution dey allow. No be only best place to chop stars; e also perfect to catch Northern Lights. And as dem experts dey talk say 2025 go sweet pass with one of di biggest aurora shows in 20 years, no be better time to check dis peaceful side of Canadian Rockies wey fit show pass now!
Unlike other Dark Sky Preserves for Canada and US like Wood Buffalo National Park and Grasslands National Park wey get small or no infrastructure, di 4,700 people town wey dem dey call Jasper wey dey inside di preserve, make e easy for travellers to see di stars. According to Tyler Burgardt, wey be astrophysicist and general manager of di Jasper Planetarium, wetin make Jasper different be say visitors fit drive come inside. E dey like 3.5 hours from Edmonton and Calgary, di town hotels and local stargazing tours go make star lovers no need to suffer.
“You go fit see something wey you no go see for other places, wey be say you fit see plenty stars, even from di town center,” Burgardt talk.
Him favourite tour na one wey dem dey do for summer, where dem go visit di planetarium and take night walk go one peninsula for Lac Beauvert. Di place dey surrounded by high mountains and e dey quiet, na only di gentle sound of wind for water you fit hear. Burgardt dey estimate say Northern Lights dey show here like every 10 days to two weeks. “E be just too beautiful,” he talk. “E be cool way to really enjoy di night side of di Canadian Rockies.”
Di small alpine community dey try make sure sey dem no go dey see too much artificial light by installing streetlights wey dey shine down and get soft glow than regular lights. As Burgardt mention, Jasper location for di national park, plus di UNESCO rated Canadian Rocky Mountains, dey also give natural barrier from di artificial light wey dey come from nearby cities.
RASC talk say, di goal for dark sky designation for community na to promote low-impact lighting wey go better di night environment for plants and wildlife, protect and expand dark observing sites for astronomy and give accessible locations for naturists and people wey dey feel di natural dark night sky. Phillipa Gunn, wey be public relations and communication officer for Parks Canada, talk say Jasper National Park first meet some requirements wey RASC need make dem turn am Dark Sky Preserve before dem officially recognize am, like accessible observation sites wey visitors fit use see di sky. Gunn talk say, ‘Jasper National Park na perfect place for Dark Sky Preserve because 97% of di park na designated wilderness area, free from light pollution.’ Parks Canada dey continue to expand dem dark sky interpretation programmes, plus dey work with di town and private partners to make sure all di street fixtures for di town dey dark-sky compliant.
So when person dey drive go Jasper at night, e no go fit even sabi say town dey for di plenty darkness wey cover di area. For July 2024, fire wey dey burst everywhere create wahala for Jasper, make di ‘jewel of di Rockies’ close for months. Di park open again last autumn just in time for di Jasper Dark Sky Festival – even though e small pass before. But as 2025 go be di festival’s 15th anniversary, Naji Khouri, way be director of destination development for Tourism Jasper, talk say dis year festival go big pass before. Dem get plans wey include drone show wey 200 synchronized drones go showcase light display, important guest speakers (Bill Nye don show before), planetarium stargazing sessions and portable telescope and tent for di base of di Jasper Sky Tram.
