Jasper Dark Sky Festival Oct. 17, 2025

Ever tried counting stars and lost track halfway through? That"s the kind of magic we chase in Jasper National Park, Alberta. When city lights fade, the night sky unfolds: constellations, distant galaxies and occasionally the dance of the northern lights above Patricia Lake, which draws gasps from even seasoned stargazers. Jasper Dark Sky Festival kicks off today and runs through 26 October, marking its 15th anniversary. Imagine being guided by astronomers using telescopes, watching a space-themed movie under the stars wrapped in a cosy blanket, hearing stories about nebulae and meteor showers, night hiking on Pyramid Beach or learning how to photograph the Milky Way.

© Daniel Viñé Garcia/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Widespread and long-eared
Oct. 17, 2023Vieste, Apulia, Italy
Oct. 17, 2024Kochia, Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar. 14, 2024Happy Pi Day!
High above the Aegean Sea
Aug. 29, 2023Zelenci Nature Reserve, Slovenia
Jan. 20, 2024Macaroni penguins, Drake Passage, Chile
Nov. 7, 2025Polar Bear Week
Apr. 16, 2025Anniversary of Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, United States
Sep. 30, 2023Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Sep. 28, 2023World Maritime Day
Feb. 20, 2024Kinder Scout, Peak District National Park, UK
Aug. 20, 2023International Lighthouse Weekend
Angry bird, doting dad
Lest we forget
A painters palette of natures hues
Jun. 4, 2024Chestnut-headed bee-eater, Bardia National Park, Nepal
Nov. 21, 2024Aspen trees, British Columbia
Aug. 23, 2023Skógafoss waterfall, Iceland
May 21, 2024International Tea Day
Oct. 8, 2024World Octopus Day
Dec. 16, 2024Salzburg, Austria
We’ve made it to Halfway Day!
Grizzly bear and cub
9,000-year-old handprints
Sep. 21, 2023International Day of Peace
A vibrant, sun-drenched island
Oct. 10, 2023Mount Sopris, Colorado
Jul. 12, 2025Thomsons gazelles, Maasai Mara, Kenya
‘A sustainable and peaceful common future’
Jun. 17, 2025Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, United States
Santa slalom
Dec. 10, 2025Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain