Discovery Days 2026 Itinerary

Festival Itinerary

All Presenters and Events are included with your Pass. Optional Add-On Experiences with the Dark Sky Guides are available for purchase.

Upon arrival in Waterton, please stop by the registration desk at the Waterton Community Centre, 201 Cameron Falls Drive, to collect your welcome package for the festival.

Please note: Itinerary is subject to change. All outdoor excursions are weather permitting, and may be altered as necessary depending on conditions.

Dark Sky Discovery Days Presenters Information

Discover the night sky through astronomy, photography, conservation, wildlife, science and storytelling. Dark Sky Discovery Days brings together astronomers, photographers, researchers, educators and storytellers for four days of discovery in Waterton Lakes National Park.

Alan Dyer

FEATURE - “Hiking” Along the Milky Way
Take an indoor journey along the Milky Way with science writer and astrophotographer Alan Dyer. Using his own astrophotography, Alan will explain what the Milky Way is, how our view changes throughout the seasons, and how to find constellations, star clusters and glowing nebulas with your eyes, binoculars and telescopes.

Nightscape Photo Workshop
Head into Waterton’s dark skies with Alan for a hands-on nightscape photography workshop. Participants will learn the basics of photographing the Milky Way over scenic landscapes, with guidance on equipment, camera techniques and capturing the night sky.

Alan Dyer is an author of several books on stargazing and astrophotography, including The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide. He is a contributing editor to Sky & Telescope magazine, and his photography and videos have appeared through NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day, National Geographic, CBS News, NBC News and more.

Mira Gebeyehu

Stardust to Supernovae: The Life Cycle of Stars
Stars may appear unchanging in our night sky, but their lives unfold over millions and billions of years. Take a journey from stellar birth through growth, transformation and eventual death, and discover how each generation of stars helps shape the universe that follows.

Benoit Victor Dit Vouillon

Exotic Objects: Black Holes, Neutron Stars, and Black Hole Stars

Explore the extraordinary world of high-energy astrophysics and some of the most extreme objects in the universe. Discover what happens when the laws of nature are pushed toward their limits by black holes, neutron stars and other exotic cosmic objects.

Chris Ratzlaff

FEATURE: Chasing the Elusive
Journey into the world of aurora chasing with Chris Ratzlaff, a leading figure in Canada’s aurora community and founding member of Alberta Aurora Chasers. Through breathtaking imagery and stories from the field, Chris explores the northern lights, citizen science, dark sky preservation and the community that has grown around chasing one of nature’s most captivating phenomena.

Capturing the Elusive
Learn both the photography and forecasting skills behind successfully capturing the northern lights. Chris will cover camera gear, settings and post-processing along with the solar wind measurements, satellite data and geomagnetic indicators experienced aurora chasers use to decide when and where to head out beneath the stars.

Keith Robinson

FEATURE: Dark Sky Conservation: What Is It and Why It Matters

Dark Sky Guides Co-Founder and Dark Sky Discovery Days visionary Keith Robinson explores the growing movement to protect our night skies. Learn about Dark Sky Places, light pollution and the effects artificial light at night can have on people, wildlife and the environment, along with practical ways we can all help conserve darkness.

Susan Holroyd

FEATURE: Wings in the Night: Bats, Dark Skies, and Simple Ways to Protect Bat Habitat
Step into the world of Alberta’s night-flying mammals and discover the fascinating lives of local bat species. Susan explores the challenges bats face, why dark skies are essential to their survival, and simple, practical ways we can identify hazards and help protect bat habitat in our own communities.

Parks Canada

Nocturnal and Crepuscular Critters of Waterton
Discover some of the animals that come to life as daylight fades in Waterton Lakes National Park and the surrounding area. Learn about the special adaptations that allow nocturnal and crepuscular species to thrive in darkness, along with research helping Parks Canada and others better understand these often-hidden animals.

Lethbridge Astronomy Society Presenters

Perry Sabey

Summer Triangle
The Summer Triangle is one of the night sky’s most recognizable regions, but there is much more hiding within it. Explore its famous stars, nebulae and other astronomical discoveries and find out where to look the next time you're beneath a clear summer sky.

Tom Anderson

Basic Astronomy: Planets, Stars and Galaxies
A welcoming introduction for anyone new to astronomy. Explore some of the fundamentals of our night sky, including constellations, the Solar System, the birth and evolution of stars, and galaxies.

Haifei Mo

Observing the Sky
Explore the night sky through observations made with both the naked eye and a telescope. Haifei shares celestial objects observed along the way and what can be learned simply by spending time looking upward.

Barry Olsen, Presented by Trent Takeyasu

The Sun and Its Spots
Explore our closest star and one of its most recognizable features: sunspots. This presentation offers an introduction to the Sun and the fascinating activity visible across its surface.

Aron De Coteau

An Introduction to Telescopes
Curious about telescopes but not sure where to begin? This introductory hands on demonstations explores telescopes and provides a starting point for understanding the tools astronomers use to get a closer look at the night sky.

Mariana Gomez Cuartas

How We Measure Our Sky: From Local to Deep Space
Journey from our familiar night sky into the techniques astronomers use to explore much farther into the universe. Mariana brings her experience in radio astronomy and astronomical research to help break complex cosmic concepts into clear, approachable ideas for audiences of all ages.

Mariana is a final-year Astronomy student at the University of Antioquia in Colombia and a Mitacs Globalink Intern conducting research at the University of Lethbridge. Her research includes radio astronomy, simulations of telescope observations of star-forming clusters and modified gravity.

Ussangahgee / Always Singing Woman Joyce Marie Healy

Creation Story of the Blackfoot Universe
Experience the Creation Story of the Blackfoot Universe through storytelling by Ussangahgee / Always Singing Woman Joyce Marie Healy. This presentation shares Blackfoot knowledge and story connected to creation and the universe.

Stefani Johnson

Gravity’s Greatest Hits: The Life of the Black Hole
Explore the fascinating life of one of the universe’s most extraordinary objects: the black hole. This presentation introduces audiences to black holes and the powerful role gravity plays in their cosmic story.