A Day for Earth, but a Whole Week for Dark Skies

Artificial light pollution around the world as viewed from space. This data was compiled from October 1994 to March 1995. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio.

Wednesday is Earth Day, but all week — Monday, April 20 through Saturday, April 26 — is National Dark Sky Week in America, when people are asked to dim the lights to see more stars.

If enough people participate, backyard and professional astronomers might be treated with a week of darker, starrier skies. The bigger idea is to raise awareness about sensible lighting practices, so skies might get a little bit darker all the time. And not just for astronomy buffs. Besides aesthetics, evidence is mounting that light pollution could have far-reaching effects for the environment and even public health.

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