Welcome to Dark Sky Friends: Responsible Outdoor Lighting At Night
Never thought about light pollution? NOW is the time to start thinking about it!
Our Mission Statement
Dark Sky Friends was created to promote the education of responsible outdoor lighting at night, to raise awareness of the devastation artificial lights are having on our lives, to advocate for strong local, state, regional, national and global protection from light trespass and light pollution, including regional master lighting plans.
We support DarkSky International and the work they do.
Losing the Dark is a short film on light pollution.
Starry skies are a vanishing treasure because light pollution is washing away our view of the cosmos. It not only threatens astronomy but also disrupts wildlife and affects human health. The glows over cities and towns — seen so clearly from space — are testament to the billions of dollars spent in wasted energy by lighting up the sky.
Losing the Dark is a joint production of DarkSky and Loch Ness Productions.
Writer/narrator: Carolyn Collins Petersen
Audio/video production: Mark C. Petersen
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Want to learn more about best practices for dark sky friendly and community friendly outdoor lighting and master designs for community lighting plans? Take the time to learn from the experts in this presentation given to a local government writing its new outdoor lighting ordinances. Presentated by Clanton and Associates watch the video here
Smart, responsible, sustainable outdoor lighting exists. There is no excuse not to use it and not to enlist the expertise of those experienced in this area in planning projects. Dark Sky Consulting is an other leader in this field.
Your contribution today helps us make a difference.
No matter how small or large an amount, you are helping to preserve and to reclaim our night. Your generosity is very much appreciated! Thank you!
Stop Mommies, Stop Daddies
Stop mommies, Stop daddies
I want to see the stars too,
And chase the lightning bugs like you.
Don’t kill the night,
With all of our lights.
Save it for me.
Don’t steal it with your new bought glee.
May we turn out our lights?
Maybe for just one night?
So that I can raise my eyes,
To the stars above,
And feel the magic and mystery,
The velvety black night brings,
For now,
And for all of eternity.
Now may we turn down our lights,
And turn some off too,
So that I can grow,
Under this star filled sky
Free from the glow,
For the rest of my life?
And my children’s
and their children’s too?
by eileen Kragie
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Meet Our Founder: eileen Kragie
As founder of Dark Sky Friends, a non-profit, and an advocate for DarkSky International (formerly known as IDA - the International Dark Sky Association), I am committed to educating people about responsible outdoor light at night - ROLAN.
I’ve been aware of light trespass for decades. My last summer before moving back to Northern Virginia, the comet Hale Bop was passing through. I spent the summer sleeping on my deck on a ridge in West Virginia watching it cross the night sky. I woke during those nights seeing the billions of stars rotating above me overhead.
Moving back to Vienna in 1998, I read you could still see the Milky Way from Turner Farm Park. I am finding that hard to believe with all of the lights and sky glow that has been created over the intervening years.