Saskatchewan is becoming a well-known destination for astro-tourism according to Tourism Saskatchewan. Vance Petriew with the Regina Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) explains there are a few reasons why the industry is alive and well in the province.
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Beginning with our naturally dark skies over the rural and more sparsely populated areas. There are a number of Dark Sky Preserves that protect these night skies, one of the largest being Grassland National Park found three and a half hours west of Weyburn. Farther west, near the Alberta border is Cypress Hills Provincial Park, which was the first and largest Dark Sky Preserve when it was created in 2004.
Other Saskatchewan parks also run astronomy observing camps as part of their summer programming.
Petriew also notes the two RASC organizations operating out of Regina and Saskatoon, who provide astronomy outreach to the general public. They also host a Saskatchewan Summer Star Party in Cypress Hills every summer, attracting amateur astronomers from across the country and northern United States.
He notes observatories in the province that are open to the public for free, including the Kalium Observatory in Regina, the University of Saskatchewan Observatory, the Wilkinson Memorial Observatory in Eastend, and one located in the centre block of Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park.
Find more information and events on the RASC Regina website.