View of the horizon light dome at Groundhog Mountain picnic area near Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 189 (credit: Mike Loranty)
For many members of the ĢƵ community, one of the most cherished features of campus is its night sky. Students arriving from large cities, where stargazing is limited, especially appreciate the ability to look up at a sky filled with bright, visible stars — something becoming increasingly rare due to light pollution.
“Dark skies” refers to areas minimally impacted by artificial light, and such skies are becoming harder to find as light pollution intensifies worldwide, dimming the stars and negatively impacting ecosystems.
Jeff Bary, Sweet Family Chair and professor of physics and astronomy, has made preserving dark skies a personal mission. Being from Appalachia, raised in West Virginia, Bary grew up under the dark skies he now sees disappearing. Read more