The Mayland Earth to Sky Park is an environmental educational park offering unique opportunities to learn about the natural world, from the earth to the sky. We are proud to be an International Dark Sky site and we have an Observatory and Planetarium within the park. Park grounds are open to the public with 24-hour access to the parking area for stargazing.
The Glenn and Carol Arthur Planetarium has a 36 ft projection dome which hosts weekly shows – from traditional astronomy to STEM related programs. The Bare Dark Sky Observatory is home to the “Sam Scope”, a 34” Newtonian telescope offering exceptional views of the cosmos. Community Viewing Nights are held monthly.
The Bare Dark Sky Observatory is located within the Mayland Earth to Sky Park in Burnsville, NC. The observatory is home to one of the largest public telescopes in the southeastern US and is handicap and wheelchair accessible. Our “Sam Scope”, named in memory of Samuel Phillips, is an f/3.6 StarStructure Newtonian telescope, with a 34 inch (0.86 meters) mirror. It is the largest telescope in the Southeast US dedicated to public use.
The Earth to Sky Park is proud to have dedicated garden space for all of our native pollinators.
Our Day-time pollinator meadow is located near the entry way into the Earth to Sky Park and includes a variety of pollinator friendly flowers and vegetation as well as two rain gardens that collect water and are home to more marshland plants. The pathway, which is shaped butterfly wings are centered upon the Ed and Becky Anderson Outdoor Classroom and the Bob and Wanda Proffitt Viewing Terrace. Enjoy the scenery and mountain breeze as you sit at the viewing terrace or bring a group for a discussion or lesson at the outdoor classroom. The pollinator meadow trail is made up of fine gravel and is handicap accessible, but is not ideal for wheelchair users.
Our Moon gardens surround the Bare Dark Sky Observatory and are home to various plants that show up well in the moonlight due to their white flowers or light colored foliage. Explore many native plants and see if you can find the Evening Primrose Vine, whose flowers only open at dusk and are the host plant for Primrose moths, one of many nighttime pollinators found at the Park. The moon gardens may be viewed all around the Observatory building, including from the sidewalk and ramp, however, other portions are not handicap or wheelchair accessible.
