A Starry Night in Flint Hill

The Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection hosts the first-ever Rappahannock Starry Nights Festival next Friday, Sept. 30, at Caledonia Farm in Flint Hill. The free event features photographs by Joyce Harman of the Milky Way over a series of local private residences, a project funded in part by RAAC’s Claudia Mitchell Fund and supported by RLEP, whose own Dark Skies Initiative is meant to promote “our mission of keeping Rappahannock County natural by encouraging citizens voluntarily to reduce their use of artificial light at night.” RLEP is also working with Rappahannock Electric Cooperative to reduce the cost to homeowners of down-shielded lighting, which keeps the light on the ground and out of the night skies.

The event starts at 6 p.m. The sun sets at 7. The RLEP ad with lots more (including one of Joyce’s amazing photos) is on page A10.