Dark Sky

Throughout history the stars have inspired poetry, they connect us to the universe, they are a part of what makes us human, and yet they are dimming in a fog of artificial light. What will we lose if we lose the night in Charlestown, and what will Rhode Island lose if we lose this last beautiful oasis of dark along our Atlantic coast?

When: Saturday, May 27 from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (Skies Should Be Clear!)
Where: Frosty Drew Campus in Ninigret Park
Why: To Celebrate Charlestown’s Beautiful Star-Filled Skies
Who: Charlestown RI Dark Sky Advocates in Cooperation with Frosty Drew Observatory & Science Center
All are welcome at this “Star Party” to enjoy our spectacular night sky. Charlestown has the darkest skies along the coast between New York and Boston. Read the post to learn guidelines for the event.

“Dark Sacred Night” is a special project of the Princeton University Office of Sustainability. The film is only 15 minutes long. Please watch it and reflect on how lucky we are to live in Charlestown where we can still see the Milky Way.

If you love the stars, there’s a new Facebook group in town you will want to join! ”Charlestown RI Dark Sky Advocates” is dedicated to celebrating our glorious night sky and learning what we can do to reduce light pollution for our health and enjoyment and to protect our environment. Read the post to learn how to join.

The annual Lyrid Meteor Shower began on April 15 and will continue until April 29, with a peak date on April 23 in the hours just before dawn. The conditions for viewing the Lyrid Meteor Shower are considered optimal in 2023, assuming there will be some clear skies.

When: April 15 to April 22, 2023
Where: The sky above Charlestown, Rhode Island
Why: Charlestown’s dark sky protects the health of both people and wildlife, gives us a fabulous view of the universe, and so much more. Charlestown is an important location for the study and viewing of the cosmos because we have the darkest skies along the coast between New York and Boston. Read more to learn how you can celebrate International Dark Sky Week.

“Birds that migrate, songbirds especially, usually migrate at night,” Calcagno said. “So light pollution can disorient them, can cause them to hit buildings, and it can cause them to be attracted to certain lighting. We have resorts and hotels and all these things along the coast which can affect them. It can cause a lot of birds to not go the way they’re supposed to go; or it can increase mortality from strikes; or they may even fly too far over the ocean to get away from the light, get exhausted and fall out of the sky and not survive.”

Every Friday night in the winter (weather permitting), Frosty Drew Observatory opens their Observatory, Science Center, Sky Theatre, and telescopes to the skies and offers free stargazing and astronomy to anybody interested in observing with them. They open on clear Friday nights at around 7:00 p.m. with views of the beautiful night sky over Ninigret Park.

On October 2nd, Rhode Island Public Broadcasting Service (RI PBS) aired a story about Light Pollution for RI PBS Weekly, a TV News magazine featuring in-depth stories of local interest. The film “Green Seeker: Lights Out”, created by photo journalist and editor Ross Lippman, features Frosty Drew Observatory & Sky Theatre, Charlestown’s exquisite night sky, the issue of light pollution, and what we lose when we lose our view of the stars. Video in the post.

“Only In Your State” calls Ninigret Park “Home To One Of The Best Dark Sky Parks In The World” “Boasting some of the darkest skies on the East Coast, Frosty Drew Observatory & Sky Theatre at Ninigret Park in Charlestown offers the perfect way to spend a Friday evening – all year around.”
Read the full story in the Only In Your State article.

Providence Journal: From a dark corner of Charlestown, not far from the ocean, the view reaches millions of light years into space. The Frosty Drew Observatory & Sky Theatre’s new PlaneWave CDK600 telescope has already provided images of galaxies more than 55 million and 80 million light years away from Earth. “It’s the best telescope in Rhode Island that’s accessible to the public,” said Scott MacNeill, observatory director.

The Frosty Drew Observatory in Ninigret Park has just finished the installation of their new telescope, a model “CDK 600”, made by PlaneWave Instruments of Adrian, Michigan. The research-grade telescope will be the best telescope in Rhode Island. This bigger, better, and more modern telescope was funded in part with a $107,541.00 grant from the Champlin Foundation.

South County Tourism Council sat down with astronomer Scott MacNeill from the Frosty Drew Observatory to talk about the Sky Theatre in Ninigret Park, the Great Conjunction and favorite celestial bodies! Check it out and give it a listen. You’ll learn about the history of the observatory, our night sky, how we see the sky, science, upcoming celestial events, Charlestown’s Red Light District and much more!

Since 1970, North America has lost 3 billion breeding adult birds from the total bird population. Habitat loss is one of the main causes of bird declines. One of the main routes, for both the north and south bird migrations, passes through southern Rhode Island. Losing the use, or even part of the use, of a scarce habitat like the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, will push even greater losses.

Frosty Drew Observatory’s dynamic program is drawing people in from all over New England to Charlestown to experience our dark sky. This Rhode Island Monthly magazine story describes the amazing view of Saturn that you can see through Frosty Drew’s telescopes.

Great article in So Rhode Island magazine about Charlestown’s dark skies. “Frosty Drew sits in a wide-open park, surrounded by protected federal lands with nothing beyond but the big, wide Atlantic Ocean. What this means for stargazers is the right kind of darkness, a field of stars relatively unmarred by man-made light. You can even get a look at the Andromeda Galaxy – which will be in prime viewing over Rhode Island in October”

This story in the Journal Nature explains that the world is lit at night like never before, and ecologists are assessing the damage.

Locally, Charlestown is the darkest spot along the coast between New York and Boston, but we lose a little darkness every year.

The eclipse in Rhode Island may have only been 67%, but the crowds at Frosty Drew Observatory in Ninigret Park on August 21 were full! Estimates on attendance range from […]

Boston.com found three easy-to-get-to places in New England with a great view of the Milky Way and listed Frosty Drew as number one! The other two were the much more […]