Night Matters
Monthly members-only virtual events with special guests talking about dark sky and light pollution issues around the globe.
Night Matters is a monthly virtual lecture series on topics related to the protection of dark skies and the importance of the night. All supporters, including members and advocates, are invited every month. To receive email invitations for Night Matters, register now for DarkSky e-news updates.
Upcoming
More events coming soon….
Past Events
JUly 2024
Grand Canyon National Park’s Dark skies
Grand Canyon National Park’s process to become an International Dark-Sky Park is unprecedented in scale. With over 5,000 exterior fixtures, and nearly 6 million visitors per year, Grand Canyon has become one of the largest, most complex, International Dark-Sky Parks in the world. Join Dark Sky Ranger Rader Lane to learn the incredible process of how Grand Canyon became an International Dark-Sky Park, and how it is serving as one of the largest hubs for dark-sky education and experiences today.
JUNE 2024
Mindful stargazing: not just looking at the stars, but seeing ourselves as a part of them
When was the last time you looked up at the night sky with wide-eyed curiosity and wonder?
In my years as a professional astronomer, I gradually forgot about the magic of looking up at the stars. I got so caught up in ideas, concepts and the technology of stargazing that I stopped looking up. It took moving to a remote island to reawaken in me my passion for the night sky.
In this talk I’ll describe my journey from single-minded research astrophysicist to yoga and mediation teacher, and how I’ve been working to bring the spheres of science and spirituality together through what I call mindful stargazing. I’ll take you on a journey to connect your inner and outer Universe and guide you through some simple practices to (re)discover the magic of the night sky and contemplate our place within the universe.
May 2024
Celebrating World Migratory Bird Day
Join Susan Bonfield, Executive Director of Environment for the Americas, Miguel E. Matta Pereira, Coordinator for World Migratory Bird Day Latin America, and Dr. Kyle G. Horton, Assistant Professor at Colorado State University, to explore the critical impact of light pollution on migratory bird populations
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APRIL 2024
International Dark Sky Week 2024
DarkSky hosted daily NIGHT MATTERS talks and lectures during International Dark Sky Week, April 2-8. You can watch all sessions below on our YouTube channel.
DarkSky: Our Vision for 2024
While DarkSky International is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, it is truly a global organization with employees and team members spread across the globe. Tune into our Tuesday special Night Matters to learn directly from the DarkSky team about what we do!
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The Impact of Artificial Lights on Insects
Dr. Avalon Owens will speak about the impact of artificial light on insects and what it means for insect conservation. Dr. Owens will also share why insect conservation is important and how we can help!
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Navajo Perspectives on the Night Sky
Ravis belongs to the Towering House Clan and is born for the Coyote Pass-Jemez Clan of the Navajo Tribe. During his talk, Ravis will offer unique insight into the Navajo/Diné perspective on the night sky.
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Astrophotography With and Without Light Pollution
Mark is the President Emeritus of the Minnesota Astronomical Society and an avid astronomer. Operating observatories in Minnesota and Texas, Mark captures stunning celestial imagery, from auroras to distant galaxies. With the upcoming eclipse, Mark will delve into the art of photographing bright celestial objects and provide a behind-the-scenes look at his preparation for capturing the eclipse and possibly a comet, too.
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The Mind After Midnight: Light, Sleep, and Circadian Disruption
Kat will guide us through the science of sleep and how light exposure regulates our internal clocks, shedding light on the vital connection between our environment and our well-being. She will also discuss the significant health consequences of disrupting these natural patterns, offering insights into how we can align our daily lives with our circadian rhythm for optimal health.
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March 2024
DarkSky’s Annual Membership Meeting 2024
Each year, DarkSky holds an Annual Membership Meeting where our members, advocates, and supporters can meet our team and hear directly from DarkSky’s Board of Directors.
January 2024
From Astrophotography to Strategic Planning
Multi-hyphenate astronomy expert Sergio Emilio Montúfar Codoñer talks on how in the realm of night sky conservation, prioritizing sky protection is essential. Recognizing the detrimental effects of light pollution provides a viable path for society to comprehend the necessity of considering artificial light levels in urban development.
NOVember 2023
Festival of Lights with Michael Marlin
Author and public speaker Michael Marlin, (aka Marlin), takes us around the world and through time to discover how different cultures have used human-made lights to celebrate holidays.
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October 2023
Fear of the Dark with Ada Blair
Ada Blair, psychotherapist and dark sky enthusiast, discusses the human fear of darkness.
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September 2023
Urban Night Skies and Environmental Justice with Diane Turnshek
Diane Turnshek, researcher and lecturer in the Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University, discusses the impacts of light pollution on urban communities.
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July 2023
Astrophotography with Parisa Bajelan
Parisa Bajelan discuss the intersection of culture, astrophotography, and dark skies.
June 2023
Lights Out! with Chloe Crumley
Chloe Crumley from Audubon Texas will discuss Lights Out! programs and the impact that intrusive lighting at night has on birds. In addition, she will talk about what Audubon Texas is doing to increase participation in Lights Out! Texas.
May 2023
Community Engagement in Dark Skies
Join us as Wiwat Changtrakul (Dark Sky Thailand), Kerem Asfuroglu (Dark Source), and Michael Rymer (International Dark Sky Association and Dark Sky Colorado) speak about the importance of engaging your community in dark skies. We will discuss methods to increase participation, ways to get started, and some of the exciting work that our panelists have accomplished!
April 2023
The Environment and Dark Skies with Travis Longcore
Travis Longcore, environmental scientist and advocate, will present the ways that dark skies help with ecological management.
March 2023
Women in Dark Skies with Georgia MacMillan + panel
An amazing panel of women in the dark sky movement hosted by Georgia MacMillan.
Georgia MacMillan is the co-founder of Terra Firma Ireland, a social enterprise for sustainable astro-tourism in addition to leading the push to establish the Mayo Dark Sky Park. She currently serves as the Mayo Dark Sky Park Development Officer.
Ada Blair lives in the Scottish Borders and is a psychotherapist, group facilitator and trainer working in higher education, the not-for-profit sector and private practice. She is the author of ‘Sark in the Dark: Wellbeing and Community on the Dark Sky Island of Sark’.
Anna Levin is an author and editor based in Scotland and specializing in environmental journalism and people’s connections to the natural world. Her book ‘Incandescent – We Need to Talk about Light‘ explores the consequences of excess artificial light on nature, our built environment, human health and well*being. She has a longstanding passion for aquatic mammals and is currently writing about the effect of light pollution on the watery environment, from her local river to the world’s oceans.
Marnie Ogg is the co-founder of Australasian Dark Sky Alliance, the first charity of its kind in Australia. She has received two Dark Sky Defender Awards, and has been a finalist in the Small Business Awards for her personal and board efforts in conserving the night environment.
February 2023
Light Justice with Lya Shaffer Osborn
Lya is a multidisciplinary designer, an advocate for design justice, and the founder of a collaborative, community-dedicated studio and workshop in Seattle, WA. She received a double M.F.A. in Lighting Design and Interior Design from Parsons The New School for Design. Lya’s thesis challenged the industry norms and incentives that have long defined a designer’s role in the community and proposed alternative modes of improving the accessibility of design resources to the historically underserved.
January 2023
The New Year of Dark Skies with Ruskin Hartley, DarkSky CEO and Executive Director
Ruskin shared our progress in the past year, and discussed our new initiatives and moving the needle forward on addressing light pollution.
