Look up
Stargazing can be one of the most fulfilling hobbies around, however, it can be difficult to know which places are best. Not to worry though, the Fulcrum spoke with uOAstro to create a list of spots around Ottawa to stargaze. To give readers an idea of the quality of each site, here is the ranking system created by author Terence Dickinson and associates in the 4th edition of the Backyard Astronomer’s Guide.
For local areas (within 1.5 kilometres of campus), there are a couple areas with walkable distances off campus fit for both spontaneous stargazing and longer periods alike.
Strathcona
Backyard Astronomer Rating: 3/40
Strathcona Park is a long park just east of campus with various paths and greenery along the RIdeau River that divides it from Riverain Park on the other side. Doğa Dokuz, a fourth-year student in physics and president of the uOAstro had this to say about the site, “there’s a nice hiding spot in the middle of the park. It’s quite hard to observe during the summer since all of the tree leaves can block the sky view, but [on the other hand] they also block the light from the city.”
She continued,“the best period to stargaze is middle or end of fall where the leaves are semi-gone and [there’s] no snow yet; and end of winter where the leaves are not growing yet and the snow is almost gone. We were able to see Saturn and Jupiter with another club’s telescope during fall.”
Springhurst Park
Backyard Astronomer Rating: 5/40
Moving south from campus, Springhurst Park is next. This park contains a wide open field right along the canal. When geese aren’t occupying it, this spot is great to set up equipment.
“During the summer, we were able to observe the moon and its features at [Springhurst] park. There [was] some light coming from the Lees Stadium nearby but if you just want to observe simple objects, [the] field is [big enough] to install telescopes or even lie down and look through the binoculars,” said Dokuz.
“One of our executives was able to capture the young star-forming complex NGC7822, however, he was using a light pollution filter because he was in the city. It’s quite hard to do long exposures in the city because there is a light coming in from somewhere.”
For areas a bit farther out from central downtown Ottawa but still within 6km, these locations will require a bit of leg power to get to, but they are worth the effort.
Experimental Farm
Backyard Astronomer Rating: 5/40
Beside the Dominion Observatory, the Experimental Farm has minimal light that allows for a significantly darker local site to sit and gaze. The area between the farm and the observatory is grassy and flat (as both are regularly maintained). This is a great site if you need a bit of quiet in Ottawa.
The unfortunate truth is that Ottawa has a lot of light pollution, and that can affect what celestial objects are viewable. Wenbin Wang, an avid astrophotographer and Vice President of Events with uOAstro, highlighted several noteworthy locations (35+ kilometres out from the U of O). Check the light pollution map and Bortle scale to determine what areas in and around your community are suited for dark sky viewings.
Carp Library Parking Lot
Backyard Astronomer Rating: 20/40
A frequent location for members of the Ottawa chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada , the Carp Library which is a great and quiet spot, and also an opportunity to meet seasoned stargazers during frequent star parties.
Tooey Lake Picnic Area
Backyard Astronomer Rating: 30/40
Tooey Lake is one of the more remote locations on the list, this site is great for viewing Dark Sky objects (i.e., the Milky Way). Some objects Wang has observed include, “some deep sky objects like M33, M31,M32, M110, M45, M57” – the labelling here comes from the Charles Messier’s Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters.
Griffith
Backyard Astronomer Rating: 30/40
“The best place is around Griffith,” Wang explained. Griffith is a remote but densely forested town in the west. Its remoteness allows for viewings of various wildlife and deep sky objects.
If you want to learn more about space and or want to get involved, you can follow uOAstro here.
Correction: This article was updated March 22, 2024, 8:16 a.m. to correct proper pronouns. The Fulcrum apologizes for this error.
