What to Do in Florida: Enjoy the Night Skies

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I like where I live, but I am regularly bothered by the fact that it is never truly dark at night here. When I go to look at the moon and stars, I can see them, but I can also see a persistent ring of light coming from ground level in all directions. Since I have lived in places where nights were as dark as this cup of black coffee sitting next to me, I know what I am missing by living in an area with so much light pollution.

I think the best night skies for me were when I lived in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia after college. At one point I lived out an old orchard road and my home had big farms on both sides and across the street. Behind me rose the foothills of a mountain. Those were some black velvet night skies and I spent a lot of time outside stargazing.

Even when I lived one county north in Florida I had darker skies, due to less development. Now I live in a very convenient location, but you see lights all night, as well as hearing cars, train whistles, and airplanes.

Harmony, another city here in Florida (somewhat south of Orlando and west of Melbourne), has the right idea. Their community will be the location for the 5th Annual Dark Sky Festival on Saturday, April 5. The event is by the hosted by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), and will kick off National Dark Sky Week.

God bless electric lighting. I love being able to turn the lights on in my house at night and shop in the stores in the evenings, but the road signs and business signs and car lights and stadium lights all add up around here and it is just overpowering.

Anyway, if you are anywhere near Harmony on April 5, think about joining them for the Dark Sky Festival. There is going to be live music, telescopes for viewing the stars, speakers, and a lot more. I actually just called my sister to ask her if she wants to get the families together and plan a road-trip.