PATTEN, Maine (AP) Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is now a “dark sky” sanctuary.

The National Park Service announced Friday the designation by the International Dark-Sky Association.

It’s the first of its kind along the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. and it is the 12th such designation in the world. It distinguishes the monument for the quality of its naturally dark night skies.

The designation will be celebrated with the seventh annual Stars Over Katahdin, now scheduled for September. It will be an opportunity for the public, star enthusiasts, and volunteer-in-parks astronomers to observe celestial objects.