Park potentially open later for stargazing

MARQUETTE — Do you have a favorite spot to gaze at the constellations? Thanks to one local group — the Marquette Astronomical Society — Presque Isle Park will be open on hour later to give a better view of the constellations.

The Marquette City Commission approved Dark Sky Park as a trial period that will be going on throughout the month of October. This creates a designated spot at Presque Isle where there will be no artificial light, making it a better view of the sky.

“They’ve been very energetic about trying to establish something in the area they can use exclusively for this type of thing. They’ve been working with our staff for probably a year now to try and come up with a compromise plan or that works for both of us,” Marquette City Manager Mike Angeli said. “We’ve had concerns because if you’re familiar with Presque Isle Park it’s not necessarily a dangerous place but it’s not necessarily a safe place either. There is a lot of cliffs, there’s water, there is a lot of things that we’re concerned about having people out there at night without lighting or other safety measures.”

The pavilion on the Northwest side of the island is the Dark Sky designated area. The City Commission is asking the public to be cautious at Presque Isle Park.