THE NIGHT SKY
WONDERS OF THE NIGHT SKY
In DownEast Acadia the lack of human-made light allows visitors to spot millions of stars, planets, the Milky Way, Maine’ s first moonrise, and from August to October, the Northern Lights. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, every night is a spectacle to behold.
Experience an unforgettable evening paddle in Castine Harbor’ s bioluminescent bay, or join other amateur astronomers at the country’ s easternmost observatory, Sawyer Observatory in Pembroke.
A stay at Cobscook Bay State Park campgrounds will offer ample opportunity to enjoy the night sky. Early risers can double down at West Quoddy State Park as they spot Venus and Sirius bright in the early morning sky, then wait as the first rays of sun hit the United States.
On a crisp autumn night, go outside and look north; you might see the Aurora Borealis’ faint green cloud tinting the horizon or a dance of flickering lights fading in and out. The intensity of the glow depends on solar activity. Sunspots created by intense solar storms allow for a more active aurora near the Canadian border.
Milky Way in the night sky over the rugged coast.
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