Once a month, Point Pelee’s dark sky preserve wows stargazers

Scanning the night sky from Point Pelee National Park is like going back in time. “Every time I go it’s more like you go back to the primitiveness of the park, the way it was before it was even a park,” said Mike Mastronardi, president of the Royal Astronomical Society — Windsor Centre. Point Pelee National Park, known for being Canada’s southernmost tip and its spring bird migration, is building its reputation for darkness. It was the first national park designated as a dark sky preserve in 2006. There are now 12 in Canada. “Point Pelee at nighttime is completely different than in the daytime in terms of how you experience it and the sights and sounds you hear,” Mastronardi said. The rustling of the leaves and branches. The waves crashing against the beach. The howl of a coyote. The stars.

It’s the best spot in Windsor-Essex to get away from the glow of city lights and even greenhouse lights and experience what Parks Canada pitches as its celestial landscape, he said. Light pollution washes out the wonder of the night sky. From the city you might see 100 of the brightest stars, but from Point Pelee you can see thousands, said Mastronardi. Once a month the park is open until midnight for stargazers and at times in August, for the Perseids meteor shower — with 20 to 30 shooting stars an hour — the park remains open around the clock. It’s jaw-dropping for those who are glimpsing the rings of Saturn for the first time or the coloured bands on the planet Jupiter, Mastronardi said. “They look through the telescope once and all they can say is ‘wow.’ They can’t believe it.”

April 21 is the next stargazing night. Park staff turn off as many lights as possible. Some people come with sleeping bags and lie on the visitor centre parking lot just to take in the pure night sky. Up to 30 people gather with society members every other month during the new moon for the darkest skies and interest is growing. Mastronardi said the universe shows us how insignificant we are and letting people experience Point Pelee at night encourages more people to want to protect nature and the park. “It helps anybody to truly, under a nice dark pristine sky, better appreciate the value of what we can have here on the earth.”