Free Stargazing Session with RASC

Come do an evening of stargazing with Manning Park Resort & the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

You’ll meet at Lightning Lakes Day Use at 9:30pm and the stargazing will commence. Some tabletop telescopes will be provided.

Ask them your burning questions about what’s going on in the cosmos, and get more information about our Dark Sky Astronomy Weekend.

Dark Sky Astronomy Weekend: Little Dipper tickets & info

Dark Sky Astronomy Weekend: Big Dipper tickets & info

Manning Park Dark Sky Astronomy Weekend – Postponed

Due to COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to postpone this year’s Dark Sky Astronomy Weekend until 2021. The health and safety of our community, guests, volunteers, and staff who make this event so ‘out of this world’ is our highest priority. The stars aren’t going anywhere, so we hope to see you back again next year with a safe event that is better than ever.

Sign up to our Dark Sky Mailing list to hear about it first!

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Telescope Rentals Now Available

The Manning Park Dark Sky offers some of the best night sky viewing around. Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing this month by renting one of our new telescopes!

July 20th marked the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 and the world’s first moon landing by Neil Armstong & Buzz Aldrin. 

We are excited to announce that we now have beginner telescope rentals available!

The Celestron FirstScope Telescope is a portable and lightweight table-top design with a 76 mm reflector optical tube. It is easy to store, transport and setup. FirstScope is very easy to observe with; the user simply navigates the night sky by moving the tube in the direction of their desired object.

We now have 5 telescopes available from the Front Desk on a First Come, First Serve basis.

They are available for rent from the Front Desk for $7 for guests, or $5 for members of our Dark Sky Mailing list.
To sign up to our Dark Sky Mailing List, fill in the form here: http://eepurl.com/dqKVlr This is a monthly newsletter about Manning Park Dark Sky experiences and some beginner astronomy news. Connect with us by joining the Dark Sky Mailing list!
Here’s some of our basic tips for using this beginner Celestron FirstScopes: 
  • Learn the constellations of the sky without the use of a telescope first.
  • Read the books! We’ve included two great books with the telescope kit to help set your expectations for what you might be able to see with the telescope:
    •  “50 Things to See with a Telescope for Kids (And Parents Too!)” – John Read
    • “Turn Left at Orion” – Guy Consolmagno & Dan M. Davis
  • Adjust your eyes to the dark, and if you require a light, use the red light that is included in the kit.
  • Find a sturdy place to put the telescope, like a picnic table. (There are some at the Lightning Lake Day Use and at Spruce Bay Beach)
  • Start with an easy target – like the moon.
  • Have patience; it can take a lot of practice to use the telescope.
  • Have fun!

Learn more about what’s happening in the Manning Park Dark Sky at https://manningpark.com/stargazing/