How To Celebrate International Dark Sky Week

I don’t know anything with certainty, but seeing the stars makes me dream.
~ Vincent Van Gogh

This week (April 5-12th) is International Dark Sky Week. A week dedicated to celebrating the new moon in April.  A week to encourage us to turn off our lights and enjoy the beauty of the night sky.  It arrives in between Earth Hour and Earth Day.  The night sky has given inspiration to many: artists, scientists, writers, photographers, cartographers, philosophers, and lovers, just to name a few.

Here are ten ways that you can participate in this week long celebration:

1. Stargaze. Look for the Leo constellation – if you head over to Globe At Night, they outline exactly how to find this constellation.  Leo is this month’s profiled constellation. They will help you navigate your way from the familiar (the big dipper) to the less explored areas of the sky.
2. Put on your mask and go outside at night.  Go to a clearing or a viewpoint and look up.  If you can get away from the city, all the better.  Be safe and aware. Then report back here and tell me what you saw in the stars.  Did you see your future or an ancient history?
3. Visit a National Park.  Here is a guide to help you find one close to you. Or visit an International Dark Sky Place.
4. Read some science fiction.  One of my favourites is The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.  But there are loads and loads of spectacular books out there, and many of them discuss our skies and what could be lurking out there.  Its worth delving into.
5. Turn off the porch light.  Install led lights, motion dectors, timers and controls. Need a solution – contact one of our salespeople.
6. Watch the launch to the International Space Station (ISS) from Russia on Friday (April 9th).  You can view it live on NASA TV.
7. Show us what your night looks like. Take a walk at night with your camera.  Photograph the sky, the streets, and whatever else you come across. Share them with the world. Tag us on instagram.
8. Check out some astronomy apps to help you navigate the portion of dark sky that lives over your neighbourhood.  Two great ones (and there are many others out there) are Starwalk and Skylive.
9. Listen to the sound of a nebula with the space data sonification project.
10. Visit your local science museum.

Without the night sky, we would not have been able to navigate the world, walked on the moon, learned of our expanding universe (watched the X-Files), or discovered that humans are made of stardust (indeed we are all made of stars). We can all do our part to get our starry night skies back. The first step is to acknowledge that we need it.  The second step is to take action.  Let us help you with that action step.