Videos
Seasonal Virtual Star Parties
Dark Sky Maine hosts free online virtual star parties four times each year on the Vernal Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumnal Equinox, and the Winter Solstice. Watch for dates and times on our events calendar. The next virtual star party will be in December, the date is still to be determined for the winter solstice and the virtual event.
Dark Sky Maine's Spring Equinox Virtual Star Party
March 20, 2025
The event was emceed by Rob Burgess. The first presenter was Jon Silverman, president of Central Maine Astronomers, who talked about the March 29, 2025 partial solar eclipse; the second speaker was Justin Miller, astro-photographer, who discussed how our eyes see the night sky compared to the camera; and the final speaker was John Meader, director of Northern Stars Planetarium, who led the group on a tour of the equinox skies using Stellarium software. The star party was attended by 32 people.
Defending the Dark
A film by Tara Roberts Zabriskie.
The film Defending the Dark educates viewers on why it is important to preserve dark sky areas while emphasizing the unique dark sky environment of northern Maine. Dark sky conservation benefits wildlife and their habitats, reduces health and safety risks to humans, saves energy, and reduces costs. Light pollution has devastating effects on migrating birds, native plants, and pollinators.