CAF Under the Stars: Perseid Campout Recap!
We had such an incredible time at our Perseid campout!
Wildfire smoke forced a last minute change of plans from our original dark sky location in south WA to Sound View Camp and Retreat Center on the Key Peninsula. Thank you to the Sound View board and staff for helping us make the move happen so quickly, and for welcoming our families for a weekend of camping, boating, and stargazing. And thank you to the Nisqually and Squaxin tribes, and the Nisqually Land Trust for sharing the land. We did our best to leave it a little better than we found it.
From the moment families arrived, there was plenty for all of us to explore. Folks explored the campground, played badminton, said hello to the resident alpacas, and helped pick up MOOP (Matter Out of Place) from the grounds & shores. We shared popsicles and ice cream sandwiches in the hot afternoon, meeting Keith, our CAF friend and a NASA-certified solar system educator, at his solar telescope to view the sun. Everyone got to see the prominences leaping from its surface and dark spots rolling by. Then some folks expired the low tide while others painted with watercolors.
In the evening, everyone gathered for a cookout while Keith led an educational session on dark skies advocacy, connecting the experience of stargazing to the importance of protecting nighttime environments from excessive artificial light. Organizations like DarkSky International work to raise awareness about light pollution and advocate for darker, healthier night skies. Learn more about DarkSky here! We then headed down to the beach for a campfire and s’mores.
After dark, a group in single and double kayaks circled close to shore in the sound, waiting for bioluminescence. About 10:15 PM they were rewarded with glowing streams from our paddles and streaming from our bows. It was an unforgettable way to experience the night wonders of this place we live, and also offered a chance to notice the contrast between the dark surroundings near shore and the bright light pollution from Tacoma.
After that, the dark sky took center stage! Keith, our CAF friend and a NASA-certified solar system educator, had also brought a couple of star telescopes and led the group through an exploration of our neighboring stars and planets. We explored stars and constellations, including Mizar and Alcor in the Big Dipper. What looks like two stars to the naked eye is actually a much more complex system: Mizar and Alcor are part of a six-star system, with each of the three main stars having its own companion.
The group also got to see Albireo, a striking pair of stars that appear orange and blue through a telescope. Even though shooting stars and meteors were challenging to see due to light pollution and upper atmosphere smoke, the night sky still became much more than something to admire.
The weekend brought together a mix of new and familiar faces, including CAF alum and Zero Hour founder Jamie Margolin! It was a chance for families and community members to spend time together away from the usual routines, build new connections, and share a little wonder under the stars.
Thank you to everyone who helped make the campout possible, from the Sound View team who helped us relocate at the last minute, to Keith, and partner Trish, for sharing their knowledge, encouragement, and telescopes, and to all the families and community members who joined us.
We hope to make it to the dark sky location in the future – we really want to see the Milky Way! But this sudden change introduced us to a new campground, new supporters, and potentially a regular adventure for our local team!
Pale Blue Dot
During the campout, Keith shared Carl Sagan’s famous reflection on the “Pale Blue Dot”, an image of Earth taken by Voyager 1 from billions of miles away. Sagan had insisted that NASA turn Voyager’s camera back toward Earth to capture a photograph, even though it wasn’t considered scientifically necessary.
From that distance, Earth appears as a tiny point of light. Yet that single pixel contains everything we know: our communities, our families, our histories, and everyone who has ever called Earth home.
After a weekend spent looking closely at the Sun, distant stars, and the night sky, and our glowing stars in our water, it was a fitting reminder of why protecting the places we call home matters.
Watch Carl Sagan’s “Pale Blue Dot” reflection here!
