Wednesday Kicks Off The Tenth Annual Acadia Night Sky Festival
I feel very lucky most of the time. I have an awesome camp in an area that is not heavily bothered by light pollution. So I feel like I always get a pretty good view of the stars and the night sky in general. But I imagine it's got to be a million times better on a hill or a mountain top. So why not look upward in one of the most beautiful areas of our state? Starting Wednesday, and going until Sunday, Sept. 9, it's time for the Tenth Annual Acadia Night sky Festival!
Over the course of the festival, there are going to be all sorts of really cool events like starlit boat rides, bio-luminescent kayak trips, and tons of lectures and talks given by experts in the fields of astronomy and meteorology. Plus many different workshops, and hands-on experiences all through the week. Check out the full list of events here.
Years back, the festival began when the Bar Harbor Conservation Commission began taking a serious look at night pollution, and wanted to take steps to preserve the night skies over Bar Harbor and all of Acadia, according to AcadiaNightSkyFestival.org. They were able to institute a new policy of "outdoor-friendly" lighting on all new construction in the area. The new concept was met with such great enthusiasm back in 2009, that it eventually paves the way for the first Night Sky Festival.
Since then, it has become the premier night sky event on the whole eastern seaboard, attracting thousands of folks from all over. This could be a great weekend for such a trip as well, now that most kids are back in school, and the tourist season has started to ebb just a bit. So dust off your binoculars or telescopes and get ready for some serious Acadian star gazing this week!