This Canadian national park is the perfect spot for stargazing and celestial sights

Now that we’ve entered the colder seasons in Canada, it’s the perfect time for stargazing thanks to clearer skies. As a result, new research has found the best national parks for stargazing in the country. 

OntarioCasinos rounded up the best national parks using a number of factors, such as sky quality, light pollution and Instagram popularity. They also ranked the most picturesque national parks in general, according to TikTok and Instagram as of Sept. 2023.

The online casino company’s methodology included an index that ranked Canada’s national parks based on the following metrics: Google review score (out of 5), the number of stargazing-related hashtags used on Instagram, a sky quality meter, levels of brightness, artificial brightness and bortle scale (a way to measure the brightness of the night sky).

The research revealed that Banff National Park in Alberta is the best in Canada for stargazing, due to its high-quality dark skies and low light pollution. 

“Banff – which is Canada’s oldest national park – receives a 2 on the Bortle scale, which measures the quality of the night sky in a particular location. This classifies the park as a ‘typical truly dark site’, meaning there’s a good chance of witnessing many celestial treasures here, including the Milky Way,” the company explained in a media release.

READ MORE: The ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse will be visible from the sky next week, according to NASA

Banff has an incredible rating of 4.9/5 on Google and boasts the greatest number of Instagram posts related to stargazing.

British Columbia’s Glacier National Park came in second place, followed by Jasper National Park in third, another one of Alberta’s treasures. The research says Jasper is actually the second largest dark sky preserve in the world. 

“Both receive similarly good scores for sky quality and brightness, but suffer from slightly more artificial brightness caused by light pollution,” the site said.

Here are the ten best Canadian national parks for stargazing:

1. Banff National Park
2. Glacier National Park
3. Jasper National Park
4. Yoho National Park
5. Gros Morne National Park
6. Kejimkujik National Park
7. Grasslands National Park and Pukaskwa National Park (tied for seventh)
8. Kluane National Park and Reserve
9. Waterton Lakes National Park
10. Auyuittuq National Park

When it comes to the most picturesque Canadian national park, social media crowned Glacier National Park as the winner. The park is recognized for its astonishing glaciers and stunning snow-capped mountain peaks.

Glacier National Park received an impressive 1.1 million Instagram posts and 442 million TikTok views under the hashtag #GlacierNationalPark.

In addition to the list of best national parks, the research also offered five helpful tips for Canadians who are planning a stargazing trip to ensure success. 

1. Stay far away from city lights 
2. Check the weather forecast for clear skies
3. Let your eyes adapt to the dark (about 20 minutes)
4. Check an astronomy calendar for exciting celestial events 
5. Download a stargazing app to provide you with information about the constellations