The Outer Banks is known for a lot of things – famous lighthouses, the Wright brothers, wild horses, and beautiful beaches. But it has its secrets too.  And one of those secrets is that if you walk outside at night and turn your eyes skyward, you will be looking at some of the darkest skies in the country…and definitely east of the Mississippi.

In the night darkness above these barrier islands, the skies reveal their beauty and wonder with stunning views of the Milky Way, floating space stations, meteors, constellations, and shooting stars.

“I’ve been to many, many parks in this country, and what we have available here is amazing,” says Carolyn Campbell, a biological technician with the National Park Service’s Outer Banks Group. “And it’s not really appreciated by the public. We’ve really lost our connection to the night sky.”

Photo Jay Wickens

But that may change on the Outer Banks if the Cape Hatteras National Seashore receives a “dark sky” designation from the International Dark Sky Association (IDA).

While park service officials originally hoped to earn the designation by the centennial this year, Campbell says it’s a long-range goal that is still very much on their radar. And officials and local communities are working to make it happen by educating the public on the night sky and light pollution.

Local photographer Jay Wickens spends many nights south of Bodie Island capturing the region’s night sky on camera, and he’s always in awe of what he can see and photograph. “The Outer Banks definitely has one of the darkest skies in the country, equal to that out West when we have nice, clear nights.”

Photo Jay Wickens

Wickens says people from all over the country come to the Outer Banks to photograph the skies above these islands, where the Milky Way can regularly be spotted by the naked eye. “When it’s clear out, it’s pretty impressive, and the Outer Banks isn’t recognized for this at all.”

Denise Deacon echoes Wickens comments. Deacon lives on the edge of the Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve and darkness can be felt all around her when day turns to night.

“There are brilliant Outer Banks nights when, rather than just tip my head backward, I lie on my deck in order to fully grasp the sky and stars with my eyes,” she says. “Nothing can beat a well-placed cloud, backlit brilliantly while it steals upon the face of a full moon, with a bazillion stars scattered over the dark night sky.  While I am usually viewing it from the edge of the woods, my mind’s eye will sometimes imagine how the scene plays over the reflective canvas of the ocean just a short distance away.”

The Darkest Places

Campbell says that with such little light pollution within its boundaries, the 70-mile-long seashore, which stretches from South Nags Head to Ocracoke Inlet, is a good candidate for a Dark Sky Park. 

The IDA, based in Tucson, Arizona, launched its Dark Sky Places program in 2001, and a rigorous application process requires that applicants implement responsible lighting policies along with community outreach in order to receive the designation.

These downtown streetlights have old-time character, but they spill light in all directions and up into the sky. With no shielding, the exposed globes cause glare, making it difficult to see. Photo Jim Richardson

There are about 25 publicly- and privately-owned parks nationwide with the designation. 

A Dark Sky Park, according to the IDA, “is a land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment.”

Campbell and others hope that the Cape Hatteras National Seashore will soon be on this list.

“We know we have to retrofit 67 percent of our lights in the seashore to even apply, so this is a multi-year process. Right now we’ve gotten all the lights assessed and have been told we have a great potential for becoming a Dark Sky Park.”

Campbell says an inventory of the lighting identified which of the 400 lights in Cape Hatteras National Seashore need to be retrofitted or removed. She added that grant funding is being sought to finance the project. 

The National Park Service has also initiated outreach programs aimed at educating the public about the night sky. Early this past winter, a stargazing party was held at the Salvo Day Use area. The Hatteras Civic Association hosted a starry night weekend in February for the first time and has another one planned for September 2017, says the association’s Belinda Willis.

“I am a huge supporter of night skies and believe strongly in stopping light pollution on the island,” Willis says.

In order to minimize light polution, it’s critical to have fully shielded outdoor lighting that directs light downwards, along with low-color-temperature bulbs. Photo Jim Richardson.

As part of Founder’s Day, the National Park Service will host a night of stargazing and interpretation at the Ocracoke Day Use area on August 25. The program will feature information on how to protect and enhance night sky viewing.

Campbell says she’s excited about the National Park Service’s continued efforts to increase awareness and appreciation of the night sky. 

“It’s an important aspect of human health to have periods of darkness, and it’s a resource we need to preserve nationwide. We need to start looking at it as a resource, just like we do wildlife or anything else. It is something we can lose very easily if we are not paying attention.”

Campbell says the night sky, and being able to look up at the Big Dipper, is one of her favorite aspects of living on the Outer Banks. “And many people who are looking up at the Milky Way don’t even realize what they are seeing. 

“The night sky puts everything in perspective. Being able to look up is an amazing thing we can do on a nightly basis.”

She says that everyone can help preserve the night sky and spread the word to neighbors. “We all can turn off lights when we don’t need them and shield lights or point them down.” While she says that people often think more lights outside their home at night increases security, studies actually show that timers are the best home security. 

An App Can Be a Map

There are plenty of free apps that can be downloaded to help stargazers – both young and old, amateur and seasoned – find their way around the night sky. 

Mobile screenshots of Sky Chart (left) and Star Map (right).

Among the more popular ones is Star Chart, which uses a phone’s compass to locate stars and planets at your location. It also lets you change your location so that you can see what the night sky looks like from other places on Earth.

The NASA App provides the latest information on NASA missions and tracks satellites for users. Night Sky Lite helps users find nearby stargazing locations and also checks what the weather will be like for stargazing the following evening.

SkyView and Sky Map use your phone’s camera as a viewfinder. These apps  will also give you information on what you are seeing in the sky. The ISS Detector will let you know when and where the International Space Station (ISS) is in the sky. It will also alert you when the ISS is about to pass by and provides information on communications satellites. And GoSkyWatch Planetarium for iPads is another popular go-to for stargazers looking for information on stars and planets. 

Whether you are using an app or just enjoying the view, one thing is certain: There is plenty to see, even in the dark. All you have to do is look up. ♦

Jay Wickens

Jay Wickens is a freelance photographer who has called the Outer Banks home since 1979. He started photographing the night sky here on the islands about seven years ago after seeing a National Geographic article’s claim that images of the Milky Way could only be captured west of the Mississippi – and he’s been hooked ever since. According to Jay, his favorite local spots for nighttime photography are all south of Bodie Island, though he prefers to frame his images of the Milky Way with other iconic subjects such as the Frisco Pier or the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. For more information about Jay and the night sky photography workshops he teaches from May through October, visit him at Jay Wickens Photography on Facebook.

Author: Michelle Wagner

Michelle Wagner has been living and writing on the Outer Banks for over 15 years.