“The only lighting ordinance that we have is in regard to the Marine Business District at Mitchell Field,” he explained. Harpswell Selectman David Chipman said town ordinances regarding light pollution are limited. Our visitors are amazed at the night sky.” “The Milky Way is so much more visible here than in Boston, where we used to live. “Some people who move here from the city say, ‘It’s too dark here! We need streetlights,'” he said. Howie Marshall, of Harpswell, a member of the Southern Maine Astronomers Association, helped to facilitate the streetlight project as a member of the town’s Energy and Technology Committee. Harpswell is the first town in Maine to use these lights, according to Mark Carter, of RealTerm Energy, the company that installed the cobra head-style figures on existing utility poles. The town recently installed 144 LED streetlights with a “correlated color temperature” of 2200 Kelvin, similar to the old lights, but lower than most LED streetlights. Harpswell is also taking action to reduce its impact on the night sky. The Appalachian Mountain Club’s Maine Woods property in the 100-Mile Wilderness has been recognized as an “International Dark Sky Park” by the organization, and the view of the Milky Way from Acadia National Park is protected, in part, by a light pollution ordinance mandating “night-sky friendly” outdoor lighting on new construction in Bar Harbor. The International Dark-Sky Association has designated the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument an “International Dark Sky Sanctuary,” one of only 13 on the planet. “People just don’t get it about light - yet.”īecause of its vast wilderness and relatively low human population, Maine remains a haven for stargazers. “There are ecological implications impacting all kinds of creatures because of this,” he added. Navy fuel depot at Mitchell Field are now gone.Īround the world, Burgess said, light pollution measured by satellite imagery is estimated to be increasing by at least 8% to 9% a year. The horizon glow from Portland is more noticeable, but nearby light pollution sources like the Brunswick Naval Air Station and the U.S.
More housing, and accompanying outdoor lighting, has definitely had an impact, Burgess said. It’s hard to quantify how the night sky over Harpswell has changed, for example, in the 40 years since the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust was founded. It’s part of our heritage that is being lost and we need to do whatever we can to protect it.”
“The night sky is so important in the evolution of Homo sapiens, our folklore, religions, planting and harvesting. “We need to elevate the profile of this resource,” said Robert Burgess, of Brunswick, president of the Southern Maine Astronomers Association ( ). But like many of Harpswell’s natural resources, the night sky is under pressure from human development and encroaching light pollution, and action is needed to preserve it for future generations. The night sky in Harpswell is one of the town’s treasures, dotted with planets, stars and constellations clearly visible to the naked eye. Well, here’s another direction to look and see something amazing. North, south, east or west, spin the compass and you’ll find scenes of great natural beauty all around. Harpswell is known for its iconic views of sea and shore.
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