Last month the BWCAW was named one of only 13 Dark Sky Sanctuaries in the world. While the designation applies only to the BWCAW, as most of you know, it could apply to most of the Superior National Forest and extend into Quetico and areas around it. It’s an enjoyable night to kick back and enjoy the stars, planets, and other celestial bodies and to contemplate the mysteries of life. 8-)

Why is this important? One of the goals of the Dark Sky Association is to discourage light pollution and developments in the area that would create light pollution. Just thought this is an important part of keeping wilderness wild. 8-)

I couldn't agree more, OS.  It seems almost criminal that, at our age, we need to travel to the wilderness to re-live night-time skies that were quite common in our childhood.

I did a September trip to Burntside Lake a couple years back with some wonderful QJ friends.  Night-after-bug-free-night, campfire sparks and tales drifted skyward into a Milky Way which, mystically and majestically, reappeared for us, as if out of the memories and fresher air of our youth.

There was naught but the mechanical procession/intrusion of man-made satellites to remind us that those Times, indeed, have mostly passed.  Nevertheless, I am ever-grateful for those Dark Skies and the flickers of jaw-dropping memory and Hope they brought to Life again, even if only for a few nights.  A glimpse of what-once-was can add meaningful perspective to our assessment of what-now-is... and such glimpses are rare and ever-more fleeting these days.

A Dark Sky Sanctuary is a GOOD idea... a church for wilderness souls.  The notion makes me mindful of words of a QJer named "Akula" whom we haven't heard from in over a decade.  In my favorite-ever QJ post, he wrote: "By the light of a simple campfire, I can see all the way to Heaven." 

I second that emotion... and Old Salt's praise of Dark Sky Sanctuaries.  They are well worth the effort.

Jimbo   8-)

OS -

I'm a bit surprised that the BWCAW is just now being added to the Dark Sky Sanctuary list.  Having Texas roots, you are probably aware that the Devils River State Nature Area (near Del Rio) was added to the list sometime back as #6.

Jimbo -

You might remember that on our BWCAW trip this year, I commented to you and Wally13 how clear the Milky Way had been the night before.  That definitely brought memories of earlier times (both in my youth and during the period that I was doing a lot of backpacking in the Rockies.  Nothing like being at 10,000 feet you make you feel that you could reach right out and touch the stars.  It is at times like that when you are truly aware how much light is emitted by stars -- enough so that you can still see some details of your surrounds in what would otherwise be classified as a pitch black night.

Being home during the August Perseid meteor shower, one of the passing meteors which appeared directly overhead was so bright I began to wonder if I would hear a sonic boom.  Wishful thinking I suppose.  Yet it was among what I would consider as one of my top 5 meteor observations of all time -- not the longest by any means, but definitely among the brightest.

dd

There's something called the Bortle scale and I hope this link works.
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It helps visualize light pollution in the area defined by Ely, International Falls, Atikokan and Thunder Bay.

All I know for sure is laying on the shield for a while on a clear, new moon night ... always elicits a WOW or two. Always. It's worth planning accordingly and staying up late for.

That’s a cool map, db. Very informative. 8-)

One of the best ways to see the northern lights is to drink lots of tea, or something else, before bedtime. 8-)

And honestly, hitting it perfect is rather rare in my experience because I can only remember one night in particular. When you get lucky and hit it just perfect, it's another wow moment when you think that all that milky stuff is just more stars.

I usually give the   (You need to Login or Register a squint before every trip to see what the chances are.

Looks like September 27th might be a fairly good nite in the north country (maybe as far south as Duluth).

dd

Also helpful to check the moon phase in conjunction with the Aurora forecast. New moon or waning moon preferably. ;)

Old Salt wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2020 at 4:54pm:

Also helpful to check the moon phase in conjunction with the Aurora forecast. New moon or waning moon preferably. ;)

Moon phase is conveniently included with the forecast website.  A short narrative of the areas of potential visibility is also included.  For September 27th the aurora will me a “low horizon” event for places like Chicago and Des Moines.

dd

I got a late night call from a Q friend one night urging me to go outside and look. Yeah fine, you live in the country. Where I live, the night sky is always orange with maybe a star or two. He insisted so fine, I went out and looked.

He was right. I woke up the wife and kid and they were not impressed but they did see them, so there's that.

I wish they both could have been there for this.

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Good stuff guys  8-)
  One of the first things I notice the first night in the Q is how bright the night sky is and how good the air smells.

Living 40 miles outside Detroit, the light pollution is considerable and the air quality compared to the North country is noticeable.

50 years ago I was a Rotary International exchange student and spent the year in a small town in Sweden about 30 km from artic circle. Full sky northern lights almost every night for months. Amazing. Only have seen anything like it since twice  - once on Disappointment Lake and once in finger lakes in NYS.

Here's another of my all time NL favorites mostly because my wife was there. She still swears she saw colors that night and in her defense, she sees color much better than I do.

It may have taken, idk, maybe 15-30 minutes to make that spiral captured in one frame. It's a slice of time. It never actually looked like that in real life. It was cool watching it move and creating that spiral though.

The other I posted was maybe a minute exposure and it was that red and it was awesome.

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db wrote on Sep 23^rd, 2020 at 5:40pm:

Here's another of my all time NL favorites mostly because my wife was there. She still swears she saw colors that night and in her defense, she sees color much better than I do. It may have taken, idk, maybe 15-30 minutes to make that spiral captured in one frame. It's a slice of time. It never actually looked like that in real life. It was cool watching it move and creating that spiral though. The other I posted was maybe a minute exposure and it was that red and it was awesome.

  Those UFO saucers often have colored running lights!  ;) ::) ;D ;D

Old Salt wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2020 at 4:17pm:

That’s a cool map, db. Very informative. 8-) One of the best ways to see the northern lights is to drink lots of tea, or something else, before bedtime. 8-)

I have tried that many times, and still I am 75 years old and have NEVER seen the northern lights.  Sigh.  We did have a pretty nice sunset one of the nights we were up on the Gunflint recently.

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My first few trips were around when Mount St. Helens blew. So I'm hoping for a another nice sunset POD coming from PK soon.

Unfortunately, I'm usually in bed by sunset...early riser ya know....gotta get that worm....

pine_knot wrote on Sep 23^rd, 2020 at 11:20pm:

Unfortunately, I'm usually in bed by sunset...early riser ya know....gotta get that worm....

“I’m a man, I can change, if I have to, I guess”. 8-)

I think I'm being shamed..... 

pine_knot wrote on Sep 23^rd, 2020 at 11:20pm:

Unfortunately, I'm usually in bed by sunset...early riser ya know....gotta get that worm....

Historically, I've been more of a "crack of noon" kind of guy.  Soooooo, please feel free to take all of my worms that you want.

dd

Nice.  I've only seen them three or four times when they were truly amazing, dancing around and moving directionally.  I looked out on the 27th up at the land and didn't see much.  I usually go to be way too early!