Banff Stargazing: See Saturn & the Moon with a Telescope

Banff

Your evening begins with a central pickup in Banff or Canmore. As you leave the town lights behind, your guide shares a brief introduction to the night's sky conditions and the specific "star targets" we’ve selected for the evening based on the current lunar cycle and planetary alignment.

Lake Minnewanka

We arrive at our designated dark-sky site, far from light pollution. While you enjoy hot chocolate and wrap up in a provided blanket, the professional telescope is calibrated. You’ll spend the next two hours alternating between "Deep Space" views (Saturn's rings, Moon craters, and galaxies) and "Wide Sky" learning as your guide uses a high-powered laser to trace the constellations of the Northern Hemisphere.

Duration: 2 hours

Canmore

We pack up the gear and head back toward civilization. This 20-minute drive is the perfect time to ask your guide those "big picture" space questions. You’ll be dropped off at your original pickup point, hopefully with a whole new perspective on the scale of the Canadian Rockies and the universe above them.