News Release

Cape Cod National Seashore to host NPS Night Skies: The Science Behind the Scenery program

A starlit night over the Nauset Marsh trail, adjacent to Salt Pond in Eastham. A trail winds through lush green grass, with a bright, starlit, Milky Way sky overhead.

Image courtesy of John Foehl - Melville Images

News Release Date: March 28, 2023

Contact: Lauren McKean, 508-957-0731

WELLFLEET, Mass— Cape Cod National Seashore is excited to welcome Bob Meadows and Jeremy White of the National Park Service, Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, to host a “NPS Night Skies: The Science Behind the Scenery” program on Tuesday, April 11 at 4 pm at Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham.

The National Park Service recognizes a naturally dark night sky as more than just a scenic canvas; it is part of a complex ecosystem that supports both natural and cultural resources. Night sky protection enhances qualities of solitude and undeveloped wilderness characteristics that animals depend on for survival, park visitors seek for connections, and many cultural-historical parks require for preservation.

Bob Meadows and Jeremy White will discuss the tools and methods used to measure night sky quality in parks, present a range of data across parks, and share their experiences under the starry night skies of the National Park Service.

Since joining the Night Skies Program in 2011, Bob Meadows has applied more than 25 years of experience in natural resource management and sky quality data collection to work with park units across the country in restoring and preserving the natural night sky. Jeremy White is a physical scientist specializing in the measurement and documentation of the night sky for National Parks. Cape Cod National Seashore hopes their upcoming visit will be engaging to the public and influence reductions in energy use and light pollution on the seashore.

To learn more information on the program or the presenters, please visit: https://nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/calendar.htm