The proliferation of development and associated installation of lights, without thought to the impact those lights have on the night sky, is ongoing. Bring a blanket or a set of chairs to sit on. Be sure to dress in layers, as summer nights are often cool on the mountain ridge. When venturing out to stargaze in the park make sure to bring a red flashlight to journey from your car to your destination. Also, use the binoculars to gaze upon the Milky Way.Įducate yourself on the constellations overhead with the use of a star chart or a star finding app downloadable for your smartphone or tablet. Red light allows your eyes to adapt better to the darkness than white light while still providing visibility for safety.Įnjoying the night skies is for everyone, you don’t need expensive equipment! If you don’t have a telescope, grab your binoculars to get a better look the fuzzy spots in the sky overhead. To make your own, use red paper or cellophanes to cover the white light of the flashlight. Make a red flashlight or use one with a red LED. You may be surprised how well you can see by starlight. Try getting used to it by walking outside in a dark area while keeping your flashlight in your pocket.Īllow your eyes time to adjust it takes about twenty minutes for your eyes to become accustomed to the nighttime darkness. Most people are a bit uncomfortable in the dark. The amphitheater in the Skyland area is also appropriate. Here in Shenandoah, a good place for stargazing is by the Big Meadows area, near the Rapidan Fire Road. Make sure to check back in early summer to find out our schedule for the year’s festival. Starting in 2016 Shenandoah National Park began a Night Sky Festival, full of ranger programs and activities to help celebrate our disappearing dark skies. Finding and observing constellations, phases of the moon, meteor showers, and eclipses can provide a sense of wonder about our place in the universe. On moonless and cloud-free nights it is a wonderful spot to view the Milky Way or some of the 2500 stars visible to the unaided eye that make up one of the 88 official constellations. While Shenandoah National Park may not get as dark as some of the Parks out in the west or northern United States, its high elevation, combined with its relative remoteness from dense urban areas, make the Park a great place to engage in stargazing on the east coast. The National Park Service recognizes dark night skies as a valuable resource that needs to be protected. When was the last time you were able to experience the awe of seeing a sky full of stars? It can be easy to feel disconnected from, or simply forget about, the beauty and sheer vastness of the cosmos. In other words, our dark night skies often really aren’t all that dark. In 2017, roughly 80% of people in North America cannot see the Milky Way due to electric lights at night. In 1880, less than 150 years ago, electric light first came to American cities. When you come home at night and flip on the lamp switch, do you ever stop to think about what you might be missing?
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