From Maine to the Milky Way: Why Dark Skies Are Worth Protecting

Did you see the northern lights this year? How about the once-in-80,000 year comet that’s gracing the skies until the end of October? At AMC, we believe that the dark skies are a natural resource worth protecting. Dark skies are critical to environmental health in ways that might surprise you. If you missed AMC’s See the Dark Festival earlier this fall, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with celestial events for the rest of 2024, stargazing tips, and ways to get involved in protecting the dark.

Milky way over Second Roach Pond and Medawisla Cabins.

The Milky Way over the Maine Woods. Photo by Jamie Walter.

The Darkest Sky East of the Mississippi

You know how it feels: the deep inhale. Your jaw goes slack, your eyes soften. As you tip your head back to take in the millions of stars twinkling above you, you remember just how small you are. The night sky is your connection to your ancestors. To every other culture on the planet. To every other human being. But dark skies are getting harder to find.

Which is why in 2021, AMC put in the legwork to create the AMC Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park—the first and only International Dark Sky Park in New England. Situated at the edge of the North Maine Woods—an expanse of more than 14,000 square kilometers of largely uninhabited forest land that stretches from Monson, Maine, to the border of Canada—along with the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument (which was designated an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2020), this is the darkest stretch of sky east of the Mississippi.

“Who thought we’d need to protect the vista of the sky?” says Steve Tatko, AMC’s Vice President of Land, Research, and Trails. “That just tells you how far we’ve fallen in our ability to value the world around us. But I think it’s an incredibly important step to taking ownership over our own ability to connect with who we were, and who we still are.”

With much of the Northeast converted for urban development, the Maine Woods Initiative is AMC’s multi-use recreation and land conservation project in the famed 100-Mile Wilderness. It’s an area at the heart of the largest contiguous expanse of undeveloped forest in the eastern United States, and it has been identified as an important hotspot for habitat connectivity, climate change resilience, migrating birds, and so much more.

“This is a forest that has developed in the presence of the Wabanaki people. You can stand on these riverbanks and see the same sky they did 7,000 years ago,” Tatko says. “It’s never not been dark.”

As part of our Dark Sky Park designation, AMC has partnered with the North Maine Woods association to install dark-sky-compliant lighting at their sites and checkpoints. We’ve collaborated with the town of Greenville to change 188 streetlights to dark-sky-friendly lighting, which saved the town over $10,000 in the first year and emphasizes the beauty of the night sky. And we have two new conservation projects underway—the 27,000 acre Pleasant River Headwaters Forest, acquired in 2022; and the 28,000 acre Barnard Forest—both of which will soon be added to expand the Maine Woods Dark Sky Park.

Why Should We Protect Dark Skies?

Consider the impacts of lighting up the night. For plants and animals, the dark supports rhythms of reproduction, food hunting, sleep, and protection. Light pollution changes the habits of nocturnal animals, leaves prey more susceptible to predators, muddles migration patterns for birds, sea turtles, and butterflies that navigate by the stars and moon, and can even affect the seasonal cycle of deciduous trees. Artificial light at nighttime poses health risks to humans, too: when our circadian rhythm is disrupted, we produce less of the health-inducing hormone melatonin, leaving us at higher risk for obesity, depression, sleep disorders, diabetes, and breast cancer, among other issues.

The night sky inspired our ancestors’ forays into science, literature, art, religion, and philosophy. Now 80 percent of people living in the world cannot see the Milky Way, and 99 percent of the U.S. population lives somewhere impacted by light pollution — the presence of excessive artificial light at night — which means that our newest generations are losing touch with our common and universal heritage.

“We get so subconsciously used to human interference in our audiovisual realities,” Tatko says. “There are people who are afraid of the absence of those things. That feels like a big injustice, that we haven’t been able to empower them to embrace that level of discomfort. It feels like a taking of a right, in a way—the right to be in the dark.”

How You Can Become a Steward of the Night

Founded in 2001, the International Dark Sky Places program encourages communities, parks, and protected areas around the world to be stewards of the night. Places are awarded a designation through a rigorous application process that involves a thorough inventory, responsible lighting policies, and public education.

Dark Sky International’s website offers resources for assessing inefficient, poorly installed, and unnecessary outdoor lighting at your home and workplace and installing dark-sky-friendly products that keep lights pointed at the ground, light only their intended target, reduce harmful blue-rich white light, and use less energy. Not only is dark sky lighting easy on the eyes–it’s less costly, too.

Assessing and reducing outdoor light impact at home, spreading the word, advocating for dark skies in your community, being an AMC member, and participating in dark sky community science research are all great ways to help preserve the night.

Green aurora over the mountains at Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins.

Northern lights over AMC’s Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins in the Maine Woods. Photo by Alex Catullo.

4 Ways to Enjoy the Dark

As the nights grow longer and the Eastern Hemisphere tips toward winter, here are our best stargazing tips, AMC’s new dark sky children’s book, and exciting celestial events to watch for in fall and winter 2024.

1. Optimize Your Night Sky Viewing With AMC’s Stargazing Tips

Check the weather for clear skies before you go.
Check the phases of the moon. The closer you are to a new moon, the darker the sky will be, and the brighter the stars.
Scope out the darkest areas using a light pollution map and pick a park, hilltop, or body of water with a large horizon that will give you an unobstructed view of the sky.
Bring a blanket or a chair. A telescope or a pair of binoculars can be handy for taking a closer look.
Use a headlamp or a flashlight with a red light setting—it’ll take your eyes less time to adjust to the dark.
Download star-viewing apps that help you identify different constellations.
If you’re uncomfortable in the dark, explore your star spot during the daytime so it feels familiar. Venture out at dusk when it’s still light. Go with a friend. A lot of people are afraid of the dark, but this is something you can overcome—and it’s worth it!

2. Book a stay under the darkest sky in the East at AMC’s Medawisla Lodge & Cabins

3. AMC’s New Dark Skies Children’s Book

If You Can See The Dark—the first ever children’s picture book from the Appalachian Mountain Club–teaches children about the importance of dark skies for animals, plants, and ourselves. Written by Timothy Mudie and Jenny Ward, and paired with stunning and evocative art by Maddie Rose Templeton, the book teaches lessons about dark skies in a way that resonates with kids and adults alike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xzsmq4260k&t=59s

4. Catch the remaining celestial events in 2024

Don’t miss out on the exciting celestial events happening this fall and winter!

The Northern Lights have been especially active this year as they near a peak in an 11-year solar cycle. For best viewing, keep an eye on local forecasts, and visit an open clearing with no light pollution between 10pm and 2am for prime viewing.
The Orionid meteor shower is visible from October 2 to November 7, and peaks October 22. To best view this spectacular event, experts recommend finding ‘the darkest place possible’ and allowing your eyes 30 minutes to adjust. Then, lean back and enjoy the show – an estimated 20 to 30 meteors every hour.
The Leonid meteor shower is visible between November 6-30, and peaks November 17.
November’s full moon, the ‘Beaver Moon,’ occurs on November 15. The night after, November 16, chances of seeing Mercury at night are high.
The Geminid meteor shower is visible December 4-20, and peaks December 13.
On December 7, Jupiter will be visible all night.
December’s ‘Cold Moon’ occurs on December 15. The winter solstice, or the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, occurs six days later on December 21.