Dark Skies
Stars at Night are Big and Bright
In February, 2019, Rappahannock County Park became the third county park in the U.S. to receive the International Dark Sky designation. There is a strong local commitment to maintaining pristine night skies including a program to replace unshielded outdoor lighting with dark-sky compliant fixtures.
Never seen the Milky Way? Now You Can
You don’t need to be an astronomer to witness the awesome beauty of the Milky Way or get acquainted with planets, moons and constellations.
Come on a star treasure hunt where light pollution is a dirty word and lovely B&Bs and Inns hold the promise of sweet dreams! All events are at Rappahannock County Park. The Park offers facilities suitable for hosting dark sky events with four or more planned annually.
DARK SKY EVENTS – 2021
Sat. May 8, 8:00 pm
Sat. June 12, 8:00 pm
Sat. July 24, 8:00 pm
Sat. Aug. 7, 8:00 pm
Sat. Sept. 11, 7:00 pm
Sat. Oct. 9, 6:30 pm
NEOWISE, the brightest comet to appear in Northern Hemisphere skies in nearly a quarter of a century, was photographed by Dan Martin in Rappahannock County Park during a Dark Sky event on July 18, 2020. The comet could be seen by the naked eye.
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