Acadia Night Sky Festival

3rd Annual Acadia Night Sky Festival -
http://www.acadianightskyfestival.com

September 22 to 26, 2011

The Acadia Night Sky Festival is a community celebration to promote the protection and enjoyment of Downeast Acadia's stellar night sky as a valuable natural resource through education, science, and the arts. The festival's events feature art, music, science, and stargazing in Acadia National Park and surrounding communities on Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula.

Among the many aspects of natural beauty in Acadia is the view of the starry night sky. Once considered only a backdrop to Acadia, the night sky is an integral part of the park's natural resources, an element of cultural heritage, and a source of inspiration for visitors. Acadia provides visitors with the opportunity to enjoy a high-quality night sky that is similar to what visitors experience in remote national parks in the West. Visitors to Acadia can enjoy stunning views of the Milky Way arching over the dark night sky, which is a sight that two-thirds of all Americans cannot see where they live due to light pollution.

In 2006, the National Park Service (NPS) adopted a policy to "preserve, to the greatest extent possible, the natural lightscapes of parks, which are natural resources and values that exist in the absence of human-caused light." The policy also states that the NPS will "minimize light that emanates from park facilities, and also seek the cooperation of park visitors, neighbors, and local government agencies to prevent or minimize the intrusion of artificial light into the night scene of the ecosystems of parks." To prevent further impacts and improve the dark conditions that exist at Acadia, the NPS is seeking the cooperation of local governments, residents, businesses, schools, and others to prevent or minimize light pollution.

The forecast for the growth in light pollution is alarming, yet there are easily identifiable solutions and a growing number of success stories in protecting and restoring night skies. Night sky friendly lighting typically saves energy, reduces glare, improves nighttime visibility, and improves safety. The goal to protect the night sky is not to turn off all lights and return to the dark ages, but to encourage the appropriate use of well-designed outdoor lights. Among the many resource management challenges at Acadia National Park, light pollution is one of the easiest environmental problems to fix, and the natural night sky is 100% recoverable. The solution is straightforward, instantaneous, and economical since it costs more to pollute the night sky than to protect it.

Join the celebration and discover Downeast Maine's unique commitment to measuring, promoting, and protecting the quality of its night sky.