Killarney Provincial Park Observatory

Killarney Provincial Park Observatory sits at the George Lake Campground in Ontario, Canada, roughly 420 kilometres north of Toronto and 100 kilometres southwest of Sudbury, at an elevation of 266 metres.

About Killarney Provincial Park Observatory

Known in Anishinaabemowin as Kchi Waasa Debaabing, meaning “seeing very far as far as the eye can see,” the observatory opened on 17 July 2010 as the first public observatory in an Ontario Provincial Park. It is operated by Ontario Parks and consists of two facilities: the original building, home to a 10-inch telescope fitted with a solar filter for both day and night observing, and a newer 2018 facility housing a fully automated 16-inch telescope paired with a 5-inch refractor, used for research, astrophotography, and public viewing.

History

Since opening in 2010, the observatory has grown into a well-regarded stargazing destination. In 2018 it earned an RASC Dark-Sky Preserve designation, the first Ontario park to do so, and from 2022 it has partnered with York University's Allan I. Carswell Observatory to provide live streams and multimedia content to visitors.

Telescopes & research

Both the original 10-inch solar-filtered telescope and the newer automated 16-inch telescope with its 5-inch refractor support Ontario Parks' Discovery programmes, along with private sign-out sessions for visitors who want to observe independently.

Location & getting there

The observatory is located within Killarney Provincial Park at the George Lake Campground, in a dark-sky-protected part of northern Ontario.

Visiting Killarney Provincial Park Observatory

Visitors can join Discovery programme sessions or sign out a telescope for private use; check Ontario Parks' schedule for current programme times before travelling.

See your named star from here

In an officially recognised Dark-Sky Preserve, staff can point the park's telescopes at the exact coordinates of any named star. Name a star and look it up in our catalogue ahead of your trip.