HALFWAY — When Rachel Cairns moved to Halfway two years ago, she quickly noticed the dark.

And the stars.

“I’ve been raised by a stargazer,” she said. “I’ve always had that in my blood.”

Halfway, a town of 365 in eastern Baker County, about 53 miles east of Baker City, doesn’t have the light pollution of larger cities. Soon after moving to Halfway and opening an Airbnb, Cairns heard that local residents were interested in pursuing a certification through DarkSky International.

“We decided to go for it,” she said.

DarkSky, according to its website, aims to “restore the nighttime environment and protect communities from the harmful effects of light pollution.”

“Eighty percent of Americans can’t see the Milky Way,” Cairns said. “Here we can. It’s really a gift.”

In addition to keeping light pollution low, Cairns hopes that a DarkSky certification could bring more visitors to Halfway and help boost the local economy.

But first, she wants to engage the community to learn more about the DarkSky movement, and she’s helping organize a star party on Saturday, Aug. 3, at the Pine Valley Fairgrounds.

The event starts at 8 p.m. with kids activities, snacks, drinks and stargazing. Telescopes will be set up, and Cairns encourages those attending to bring their own telescopes, binoculars or spotting scopes.

And that’s not the only event that day in Halfway — a concert by the Bad Penny Pleasuremakers starts at 7 p.m. on the Main Street Stage. This part of a summer concert series supported by the Cornucopia Arts Council, Oregon Community Foundation and Leo Adler Foundation.

Certification process

Cairns said earning a DarkSky certification can take one to three years, but she’s hoping Halfway can qualify quicker because a sky monitor meter has been in place for years to provide data.

The Bortle scale rates the brightness of a night sky, with class one being the darkest sky on Earth to class nine designating the most light-polluted city sky, according to NASA.

DarkSky International lists only one certified spot in Oregon: Prineville Reservoir State Park. Idaho has two: Craters of the Moon National Monument and City of Rocks National Reserve.

In March 2024, a 2.5-million-acre area in Lake County in Southeastern Oregon was certified as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary by DarkSky International. A group called the Oregon Outback Dark Sky Movement is working to get portions of Lake, Harney and Malheur counties designated as a “dark sky reserve.”

DarkSky Oregon also lists Sunriver as a Dark Sky Community.

Cairns said requirements of a DarkSky certification include guidelines about lights, such as installing shields or switching to a less-bright color. Also, lights should be pointed down, instead of at the sky.

Events

DarkSky Oregon lists star-related events around the state. In addition to Halfway’s event on Aug. 3, a star party is planned for Aug. 6 at Wallowa Lake State Park.

For a complete calendar, visit darkskyoregon.org.