Maine Is On Tap As New Astro Tourism Destination – Yeah It’s A Thing

I guess dark is just one more thing we take for granted in Maine but some of us are looking to cash in.

We've all heard of light pollution and living in town Bangor I can tell you we have it too.  That said, none of us need to travel far to find clear dark skies and a million stars. And turns out that dark is a new commodity. According to a recent article in the Portland Press Herald Maine contains the largest light-pollution-free area in the eastern half of the United States. The way a night sky’s darkness is rated is on the Bortle scale 1-9 , 1 being the darkest here in Maine we rate in many areas as a 2, making us a great place to see what they call a true night sky. Traveling west the next time you find a 2 is around Kansas.

The new fangled way travel experts are getting on board is called Astro Tourism. This is not a completely new thing according to CNTravel folks have been traveling to Iceland and Finland for years to see the Northern Lights. And look at how many traveled earlier this year to catch the eclipse. Rumor has it that some of our National Parks are even looking to join the International Dark Sky Association.

No doubt this is why the Acadia Night Sky Festival has become so successful over the years. This year's 10th Annual Acadia Night Sky Festival is set for September 5-9, 2018, and will once again be packed with a full schedule of events. With workshops, internationally recognized speakers and hands-on experiences, there truly is something for everyone from families to the serious amateur astronomer.