Based in the Tremont village of Bernard, the Island Astronomy Institute delivers a wide array of programs to people of all ages on Mount Desert Island, home of Acadia National Park. Isolated from the growing threat of light pollution, MDI retains some of the last naturally dark skies on the East Coast.

A nonprofit organization, the Institute provides programs and resources to schools and the public, promoting astronomy as an exciting activity for people of all ages. Its interdisciplinary programs include mythology, recent discoveries from NASA, and the spectacular starry skies of Acadia. The Institute is currently focused on acquiring a Digital STARLAB Portable Planetarium for use in educational presentations and service learning projects.

Peter Homer, a member of the Institute’s Board of Advisors, was featured at the Smithsonian Institute’s 42nd Annual Folklife Festival earlier this summer on the National Mall. He is recognized for developing “an innovative new space suit glove design that is strong, easy on the hands, and gives the operator a high degree of dexterity.” Homer and the Institute’s director Peter Lord have been highlighting the space-glove innovation through “Hands in Space” presentations at local libraries.

The Institute has a Starlit Communities project is dedicated to preserving the nighttime environment over the Downeast region. The group has forged a unique partnership with the National Park Service and the Friends of Acadia to foster public stewardship of the night skies.

For more information, contact the Island Astronomy Institute at (207) 244-9477 or visit islandastro.org.

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