Lac aux araignées, Frontenac, Québec, CA

I went to this place with the MTL Astrophotographers Group. It was one of those rare nights when it seems that all the conditions were set: new moon, almost a whole week of clear skies and it fell on a weekend.

Usually, I don't like very much the places  this group chooses because they are very far away and also they are not very comfortable for this kind of activities, that is, they always choose a dirt road. However, this time the place was excellent.

Lac aux araigées is a lake located in the southeast of the province of Quebec, 3 hours from Montreal and 20 minutes from the municipality of Lac Mégantic, near the border with the United States.

The interesting thing about this place is that it is located in an area declared a Dark Sky Reserve by the International Dark Sy Association. This means that all the artificial lamps are installed in such a way that they cause the minimum of artificial light pollution, so at times when everything is clear, the skies will be clearer.

There are several advantages with this place, and that is that it is away from places of light pollution. Although it is a long dirt road, it is only 20 minutes away from Lac Megantic and other municipalities, so you can find very accessible accommodations and services.

As for the place itself, it is actually the access to the lake (here they call it "beach"), so it has a large parking lot for cars where you can install to take pictures.
Here are some shots I could take.