Space and Physics
PUBLISHED
Last month, a study found that one-third of humanity can’t see the Milky Way in the night sky because of light pollution. However, with a ferry ride off the coast of Key West in Florida, there's a place where observing the night sky’s delights is not quite such a big problem.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.In this time-lapse video from SKYGLOW, you get to experience a piece of that beautiful darkness for yourself. This ongoing crowdfunded project hopes to raise awareness and explore the effects of light pollution in built-up areas through astrophotography.
Dry Tortugas National Park is a remote set of islands 113 kilometers (70 miles) from Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, and is often thought of as the “darkest” place in the US due to its isolation. Along with being blessed with beautiful skies, the area contains a wealth of sea life, the best-preserved coral reef in the US, and provides a popular breeding ground for tropical birds.
For the history buffs among you, it is also home to many shipwrecks and Fort Jefferson, an unfinished coastal fortress that is the largest masonry structure in the US.
However, the place really comes into its own after the Sun goes down. Check it out below – but be sure to view it in full-screen.
[H/T: Gizmodo]
