Mont Mégantic

An observatory was built on Mont Mégantic in 1978 and by the 1990s light from Sherbrooke and the surrounding towns was degrading its work. Rather than accept it, the observatory ran a campaign that replaced or shielded around three thousand five hundred light fixtures across thirty-four municipalities, cutting sky glow by about a quarter; in 2007 the area became the first International Dark Sky Reserve in the world. The ASTROLab at the base runs public evening programmes, and the summit observatory, with a 1.6 metre telescope, is one of the more important in eastern Canada. Perseid nights in August fill the mountain.

What you actually see

• The dark sky - the first designated reserve of its kind anywhere.
• The 1.6-metre telescope - a working research observatory on the summit.
• The ASTROLab - evening public programmes and daytime exhibits.
• The lighting retrofit - the regional conversion that made the reserve possible.

When to go

June to October for evening programmes; the Perseids in mid-August are the busiest nights and book out. Moonless nights are best. Winter programmes run with limited access.

Honest expectations

Evening programmes need booking and sell out around meteor showers. Cloud cancels viewing and the mountain generates its own weather. Nights are cold at altitude even in summer.

Nearby

Sherbrooke lies west; the Maine border is east.