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Picnic with the Planets at Acadia National Park's Night Sky Festival
Published by Mona Rae, Writer
Country: United States 
The Experience
In many places of the U.S., so much territory has already been absorbed by residential and industrial development that the result has been an endless illumination of the night sky from non-natural light. This has all but eradicated the star-filled panorama that could once be seen in the skies. These days, many young kids have never even noticed the Milky Way!
Fortunately, a greater number of communities and park managers in the U.S. are turning their heads towards the night-time skies, and this tendency is becoming more and more frequent throughout the American National Park system. There is one park that has planned a festival for exactly that purpose in the largest expanse of naturally dark sky east of the Mississippi.
Every year since 2009, the Night Sky Festival in Acadia National Park has taken place in September, starting at sundown on Day 1 and continuing until sunrise on Day 4. Live music, poetry readings, artwork displays, and science-related programs are all included in the activities of Acadia Park’s Night Sky Festival. During the festival, you will find perfect areas for stargazing at a variety of sites throughout Acadia National Park, and indoor as well as outdoor activities are usually planned in case of rainfall. There is even a moveable star lab available.
Highlights of the Night Sky Festival in Acadia National Park 2011 included guided night-time strolls with park rangers to observe the wildlife (which is active during the hours of darkness), a special ecological program about owls, as well as a photography class headed by local professional photographer Bob Thayer. As part of the workshop, Mr. Thayer taught the technical and creative methods of photographing the dark sky.
Called a “grassroots, joyful celebration” by Peter Lord, Chief of The Island Astronomy Institute, the Acadia National Park’s Night Sky Festival has been given the support of a number of community leaders, as well as government groups, and of virtually everyone committed to shield and save Acadia’s night-time sky. The festival was introduced by the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce with the support of Acadia National Park, Acquaintances of Acadia, the Island Astronomy Institute, the Jackson Laboratory, as well as an exclusive partnership of neighbourhood and federal groups.
It’s thanks to that kind of collaboration, that every year, Acadia National Park in Maine holds a Night Sky Festival to celebrate something which is becoming harder and harder for most people to see. While it’s true that the American National Park system offers a variety of beautiful, natural landscapes throughout the country for visitors to enjoy, perhaps there is none so unique as an unobstructed view of the sparkling beauty of the vast Acadia night-time sky.
When to Go to Acadia Park Night Sky Festival
Odds n' Ends
Places to Eat
- The Jordan Pond House Restaurant
- The Jordan Pond House Restaurant, the only dining facility in the park, serves lunch, tea, and dinner from mid-May through late October
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