Cape Hatteras National Seashore is located on Hatteras Island, a barrier island that lies from 25 to 40 miles (40 to 64 km) off North Carolina’s coast. During the daytime, beachgoers enjoy wildlife including sea turtles, seals and birds such as the American oystercatcher. At night, campers can sleep along the seashore at 4 different sites and gaze up at the stars. An EarthSky visitor wrote in 2016: “Cape Hatteras National Seashore has some of the darkest night skies on the eastern seaboard. You can drive to the island from the north, or take a ferry from Ocracoke Island to the south. The national seashore is well on its way to qualifying as an International Dark Sky Park and access is free… just take a chair out on the sound or ocean beaches.”
Deborah Byrd
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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.