The Milky Way

Can you see the Milky Way from home?

Many of our guests come from areas of the country that have high levels of light pollution. This makes it hard to see even the brightest of stars, let alone the Milky Way galaxy. Here in Northern Maine, we have little to no light pollution making our bases great places to stargaze!

 

Wait, aren’t we in the Milky Way?

Yes! We are located on the inner Orion-Cgynus Arm, sandwhiched between the Sagittarius and Perseus Arms. The reason we can see the Milky Way is because of how massive it is. We are essentially looking down the tail of the arm we are located in.

 

 

 

 

What is the best time to see the Milky Way?

The best time to catch a glimpse of our galaxy is during a new moon at midnight. At 12am, it is directly overhead and at its most visible if you don’t have the most open view of the night sky. You can, however, begin to see the Milky Way about 2 hours after sunset and throughout most of the night.

 

 

 

Where is the best place to see the Milky Way?

EASY! Just find a dark place with a good view of the sky! Both our Forks & Millinocket locations are remote enough that you could find this type of spot just steps from where you will be staying, but to get the best view it is recommended you go somewhere with no view of errant lights. There is no shortage of places to go if you want to escape the lights up here.

 

 

One of the best ways to see a clear view of the night sky without any nearby lights would be on one of our Overnight Trips! Here you will be deep in the Maine wilderness and far from any street lights, giving you the optimal viewing experience.

 

PRO TIP: Get yourself a headlamp that has a red light. This way you can still see your way in the dark, but your eyes won’t adjust to the bright light of your head light!