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Jasper Dark Sky Festival 2013 – Look Up!

September 30th, 2013 by

Jasper Dark Sky Festival 2013: Oct 25 – 27

The Jasper Dark Sky Festival may sound a little odd at first but, unless you live in an area similar to ours, you may not realize that there’s a lot more to be seen in the night sky beyond the reflected glow of your city. In Jasper, when you look up at night, you see something amazing: a stunning forest of stars. Jasper is the world’s largest, accessible dark-sky preserve, in fact.

And what, exactly, is a dark-sky preserve?

A dark-sky preserve is an area that is free and *kept* free of artificial light pollution – that hazy glow which pervades the night sky of most inhabited areas and makes astronomy and even simple star-gazing difficult if not down-right impossible.

Now, some might take our incredible night skies for granted but we know that what we’ve got is rare and becoming rarer, so we celebrate it all month long in October and cap it all off near the end of the month with the Jasper Dark Sky Festival!

This year’s Festival is shaping up to be something truly wonderful with a host of fun events, local vendors offering specials, and of course, stars – and in this instance, by “stars” I mean celebrities:

Jay Ingram, of Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet will be here, along with David Levy, one of the most successful comet discoverers in history! Science journalist, and children’s author Peter McMahon will also be on hand, as well as renowned night sky photographer Yuichi Takasaka, and a host of other astronomical luminaries.

We’re offering our own special to coincide with the Jasper Dark Sky Festival:

Star Gazer’s Dream Special

15% off all room rates from $118 (reg $139)
Breakfast for two included
6:00 pm check out on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday
Free storage for equipment
Valid: October 23 – 28

So book now and open your eyes to the wonder of our wonderful night skies!

Jasper Dark Sky Festival 2013

October 25th – 27th
For more details and a full event schedule, please visit: www.jasper.travel/dark-sky-festival-2013

Tags: Dark Sky Preserve, light pollution, Star Gazer's Dream Special
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October 12-14, 2012 Jasper Dark Sky Festival

September 17th, 2012 by

While staying at our lodging near Jasper National Park, visit the Park to experience the largest Dark Sky Preserve in the world.

In this modern world, where nearly every peopled region is bright with electric lights at night, dark skies adorned with stars have become rare. 100 year ago, who would have thought that we would need Dark Sky Preserves (DSPs) to ensure future generations’ chance to see starlit night skies? We are lucky to have the largest DSP in the world so close by. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada designated Jasper National Park as a Dark Sky Preserve on March 26, 2011.

To promote awareness of the need for unlit night skies, the entire month of October is Dark Sky Month in Jasper. There will be sky-themed activities and events all month long. But the highlight event will be the October 12-14 Jasper Dark Sky Festival. This family friendly event will feature guest presenters, children’s activities and star gazing adventures.

Friday October 12 ~ 8:30-9:30 pm
The festival opens with a Starry Night Wine & Cheese reception and presentation. Come to the Mountain Galleries at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (1 OldLodge Road in Jasper). You can sip and nibble while enjoying a talk by Peter McMahon from Sky New magazine.

Saturday October 13 ~ 10 am-10 pm
Events start at 10 am with a telescope lesson. The day’s Space Cadet Fair will offer fun and educational events for children of all ages. There will also be astronomy presentations and a Night Sky photography exhibit with work by Yuichi Takasaka. The evening wraps up with stargazing, dinner at the Pyramid Lake Resort and the Pyramid Island Starlight Adventure.

Sunday October 14 ~ 10 am-12:30 pm / 2-4 pm Photography Session
The weekend ends with closing remarks plus a presentation and night sky photography session with Yuichi Takasaka.

To learn more about the festival and the Jasper National Park Dark Sky Preserve, please visit JasperDarkSkyFest.com and JasperDarkSky.org.

Our lodging near Jasper National Park is just the place to stay if you want to experience the world’s largest Dark Sky Preserve!

Tags: 2012 Jasper Dark Sky Festival, Dark Sky Month in Jasper, Dark Sky Preserve, DSP, Jasper National Park Dark Sky Preserve, largest DSP in the world, lodging near Jasper National Park, world's largest Dark Sky Preserve, Yuichi Takasaka
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