Stargazers revel in Cherry Springs’ dark skies
GALETON — Gaze up at the night sky in suburban or urban parts of Pennsylvania and you won’t be seeing much. Glare from bright lights tends to diminish the visibility of stars and other heavenly bodies. The view is much different at Cherry Springs State Park in rural Potter County. There, millions of stars, constellations can be seen in their brightest beauty of the night sky. “When the sky is clear and the seeing is good, then people can actually see their shadow cast on the ground from starlight alone,” says Maxine Harrison, director of the Cherry Park State Park Sky Fund and Association. The park is atop a forested mountain, surrounded by more than 200,000 acres of Susquehannock State Forest land, minimal development and a low light population. “(It) allows for an unobstructed and unpolluted view of the night sky. Tens of thousands of stars can be visible to the naked eye when conditions are right,” Harrison said.
» Full StoryTake time to ‘learn the sky’
With educational programs such as the ones offered at Cherry Springs State Park, those interested in backyard astronomy can learn a great deal about the bodies that occupy the skies.
» Full StoryOptions for stargazing education abound in area
At the nearby Lyman Run State Park, Liz Helms, environmental education specialist, holds programs on topics such as solar and lunar objects and wildlife.
» Full StoryState: Proposed wind farm would not affect dark skies at Cherry Springs State Park
The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently released a study by an internationally respected lighting consultant that indicates a proposed wind farm near Cherry Springs State Park in Potter County will have an unnoticeable imp
» Full StoryGUEST COLUMNIST
In 1999, I retired from human resources at the VA Medical Center in Lebanon and moved with my husband to Tioga County. I traded in my Pendleton skirts and Naturalizer high heels for jeans, sweatshirts and sneakers, and I have never looked back.
» Full StoryGame Commission: Unsuspecting wildlife feeders could be liable for fines, citations
Conflicts between bears and humans are not to be taken lightly, and the state Game Commission in 2003 established a regulation that makes feeding bears illegal.
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