You don’t have to be an astronomer to see thousands of stars in the night sky with your naked eye. All you have to do is head over to an International Dark Sky Place to get a beautiful look at the stars, planets and the Milky Way.

What exactly is an International Dark Sky Place? It’s a community, park, reserve, sanctuary or urban area with low levels of light pollution that gives the public a better view of the stars. That’s according to Ashley Wilson, director of conservation with the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to protect the night from light pollution. And there are locations all over the world, including right here in Canada and across the border in the U.S. 

More than 80 percent of the world’s population live under skies that have so much light pollution, they can’t see most stars from their own backyards, according to Wilson. That’s why the IDA has designated more than 195 locations around the world as “Dark Sky Places,” offering people an ideal destination to connect with nature and see stars, planets and, of course, the Milky Way galaxy.

Over 120 of the IDA Dark Sky Places are in the United States and Canada, and that number continues to grow (the process to become an International Dark Sky Place takes one to three years to complete). “Ten years ago, we only certified six places a year,” says Wilson. “Now we’re certifying closer to 25 a year.”

Currently there are four International Dark Sky Places in Canada:

• Mont-Mégantic International Dark Sky Reserve, Québec, was the very first reserve certified in the International Dark Sky Places (IDSP) Program.
• Bon Accord, Alberta, is an International Dark Sky Community.
• Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, which is comprised of Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada, and Glacier National Park in Montana, U.S., is the first transboundary International Dark Sky Park.
• Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario, is a newly certified International Dark Sky Park.
  

Wilson says the IDA also has five active applications from locations in Canada looking to become an International Dark Sky Place.

You can find IDA places near you — or near a planned vacation destination — with the International Dark-Sky Association’s interactive map. Canada also has many other dark sky sites if you can’t make it to one of the four designated International Dark Sky Places.

Many Dark Sky Places are in remote areas, but with an active OnStar plan,* you can use OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation* to have directions sent directly to your vehicle and a voice will call out every turn. And as an OnStar Member, you also have 24/7 access to Roadside Assistance.* Just push the blue OnStar button and an Advisor can send for help if you run out of gas, have a flat tire or need a jump start. 

There are things to see year-round at an International Dark Sky Place, but the best time to go is during the summer (between July and September), according to experts. That’s when you get the best view of the Milky Way because of Earth’s position around the sun. Plus, it’s a lot warmer at night during the summer months.

If you’re planning a stargazing adventure this summer, here are some other things to keep in mind:

• Make sure to check the moon calendar and look for a waning moon or new moon. A full moon can be so bright that it becomes a source of natural illumination.
• The annual Perseids meteor showers usually take place in August. The very fast and bright meteors leave long “wakes” of light and colour behind them.
• Andromeda, the closest large spiral galaxy, can be seen in the fall. It’s two and a half million light-years away and is the most distant celestial object you can see without a telescope.
• A popular constellation to see in winter is Orion. It contains the Orion Nebula, a cloud of interstellar dust and gas, bright enough to see without a telescope.
• The best time of the night to start stargazing is an hour to an hour and a half after sunset.
• For more up-to-date information on what’s going on in the night sky, visit NASA’s sky watching page.

Of course, before you head out to a specific International Dark Sky Place, check out its website to find the best viewing locations as well as any other information like COVID restrictions. Additionally, if you want to visit a location in the U.S., make sure to check the latest border crossing rules and information.

There’s one extra step to take as you prepare for your visit. Download the OnStar Guardian^® app,* which provides key OnStar safety services right on your smartphone. This includes Mobile Crash Response and Roadside Assistance,* in case the unexpected happens while driving around the park. You can also contact an OnStar Advisor right from the app if you need help. Plus, you can share your location* with up to seven friends and family members,* so they can find you if you get separated. 

• Bug spray.
• Lawn chair or picnic blanket. It’s easier to look up while leaning back in a lawn chair or lying down on a blanket.
• Jackets, sweaters and blankets. Temperatures drop to the teens in a lot of the parks during the winter, but even in the summer it can get pretty cool at night. So make sure to pack the right clothing for the weather, and bring some tea or hot cocoa to keep you warm.
• A red flashlight or headlamp. The red light doesn’t distort your dark eye adaptation and won’t interfere with your ability to see the stars.
• Telescope. Even though you can see a lot with your naked eye, a telescope opens your eyes to another world.
• Binoculars. If you don’t want to invest in a telescope, bring some binoculars. It’ll help you see planets, the moons of Jupiter and groupings of stars.
• DSLR camera. If you want to capture some of those stars, up your ISO and lower your shutter speed on your camera. And, of course, bring a tripod.

“It’s important to address the issue of light pollution and find ways to reduce it to restore our naturally dark skies,” says Wilson. For starters, you can consider retrofitting outdoor lights to be dark-sky friendly. Before installing lights, browse the IDA’s Fixture Seal of Approval program. All the fixtures in their database are certified through a third party to ensure they minimize glare and the amount of blue light they emit. Plus, they are usually LEDs and many come with adaptive control, like motion sensors and timers.

You can also learn more about our connection with the night sky at a Dark Sky Place. “You can learn how light not only impacts our own health and safety, but also the nocturnal environment,” says Wilson. “All living things need darkness as well as light, which is why it is equally important for us to both celebrate and protect our night skies.”

Until more people take steps to minimize light pollution, the best way to enjoy the beauty of stargazing is to find an International Dark Sky Place. Now all you have to do is pack up your vehicle, grab your friends or family, and head out.