JASPER STAR TRAILS
the only
"off the Beaten path"
astronomy tour in Jasper
Star Trails Tours
Jasper Star Trails offers a variety of programs throughout the year
After Dark Astronomy
2-hour guided journey through the night sky at beautiful Lake Annette. We’ll explore the wonders of the Milky Way and the ever-changing seasonal constellations. Using a variety of telescopes and binoculars, you’ll get a closer look at celestial marvels like the moon, star systems, planets, distant galaxies, and glowing nebulae.
Tour times vary by season, and transportation is not included. Discover the universe, one star at a time.
Time: 2 hours
Price: $89
Solar Gazing and Aurora borealis talk
Introducing our latest experience daytime tours like never before. Witness the awe-inspiring surface of the sun and solar prominences live with the help of specialized equipment designed for safe solar observation. Also we dive into the captivating story of the Northern Lights, exploring their mysterious origins and the fascinating processes that lead to their formation. Our expert guides will share insights, into the best locations around Canada to experience this mesmerizing natural phenomenon in all its glory.
June 1-July 20
Time: 1 hour
$39
Private Astronomy Events & Group Presentations
Elevate your group’s experience with a private, customized astronomy tour or presentation. Perfect for large tour groups, corporate retreats, or special events, our expert-guided sessions explore the Milky Way, seasonal constellations, and celestial marvels like planets and galaxies. By day, enjoy safe solar gazing paired with a captivating Aurora Borealis presentation, or explore the night sky through high-quality telescopes. Indoor astronomy talks tailored to your group’s needs are also available. Let the universe inspire your next event.
Time: 1 & 2 hours
Price: Inquire
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Meet us at Lake Annette, the last parking lot at the end of the road. Transportation not included
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View objects in our solar system, the milky way and beyond through optical and digital telescopes.
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Laser guided tour of constellations and deep sky objects, so you know how to find them and later impress your family and friends.
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Learn about the technology involved in astronomy, and ask us questions about anything space.
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If the sky clouds over we do a deep dive into the origin and life cycle of stars including past images captured by our telescopes and the technology involved in capturing though images.
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Have in depth conversations of everything space.
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We are currently operating at Lake Annette, just outside the townsite of Jasper, Alberta.
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This is a self-drive event as we do not provide transportation to and from the location. It is up to you to drive safety and responsibly.
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Our tour lasts 2 hours depending on the number of guests, weather and astronomical events.
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Bring blankets, chairs, cameras, snacks and curious mind or anything else that makes you more comfortable.
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Incase of rain or snow we will move to a nearby shelter and continue the lecture portion of the evening. Welcoming everyone back to stargaze on an evening in the future that is clear.
Astronomy Tours
Jasper Clear Sky Chart
This chart shows us an hour to hour update of cloud cover, transparency and darkness levels of the sky in
Jasper Alberta.
To navigate the chart on mobile, slide your finger across the chart.
The Dark squares represent clear conditions.
About Us
Joel and Matthew are pioneers of Dark-sky Preserve space tourism here in the legendary Jasper National Park. Join us as we pack up our telescopes, our curious minds and venture beyond the borders of the townsite of Jasper. We'll travel into the wilderness of the National Park and enjoy an evening of interpretive guiding as we explore the night sky all within the second largest dark sky preserve on planet earth.
We are passionate astronomers with over 20 years combined guided and technical experience, thousands of nights under the stars, touring over 50,000 humans from around the globe.
You'll experience breathtaking views through our several types of telescopes, distant star systems, galaxies, nebulas, planets, maybe a comet or some meteors, or if we're really lucky an epic display of northern lights.
We realize that the weather can play a significate role in astronomy, our program does not require completely clear skies. even in partially clear skies a lot of wonders are still visible. In the case of completely cloudy nights we still operate go into detail about the telescope equipment, software and have discussions about everything space, from recent discoveries, to the future space race and everything in between.
The Partial solar eclipse October, 14, 2023
Reviews
"Would 10/10 recommend Jasper Star Trails while touring Jasper! The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable and you can tell how passionate they are about what they do. We were lucky to be the only ones on our tour and got such a great 2:2 experience. We were able to see planets, the Milky Way and many stars. They also recommended a ton of additional resources to further our knowledge of the skies. I would hands down recommend them while visiting Jasper and can’t wait to go back the next time we are in the area!" - Paige Glasier
FAQ
The Answers You Need
What clothing to bring?
Remember we are in the Rocky Mountains and weather can be unpredictable and this is an outdoor event that can last upwards of 2 hours. Dress accordingly to the weather, a few items to wear would be; Warm socks and boots, dress in layers, a warm coat, toque and gloves. If you require foot or hand warmers feel free to ask.
Can I bring my own Telescope ?
Yes! You can bring your own telescope if you like. Please be mindful of other guests as we can not guarentee that we can help you set it up, this depends on how many guests are at the event. Also you can bring Binoculars.
I see clouds can we still use telescopes ?
Yes! We only need about 40% clear skies to use telescopes effectively. On overcast nights, the universe may be closed, but we aren't! Cloudy nights are a great time to dive in and learn about the technology involved in astronomy and astrophotography. There is no downtime in astronomy, and come back another clear night. You'll see 100% of nothing from your hotel room. We will only cancel events during poor weather, Such as rain, snow, high wind or nights colder than -25 degrees Celcius.