Saving Our Dark Skies
by Katherine Weinhold
For generations our ancestors have gazed upward with wonder and curiosity at the inky abyss expanding far beyond our comprehension. Dotted with sparkling silver, the night sky has inspired poets, encouraged scientific discovery, and laid the groundwork for cultures. Now, as time has passed and civilizations have grown, we are losing sight of the wondrous cosmos. In an age where our society is becoming increasingly conscious about saving our planet, the final frontier has been overlooked.
Disappearing Dark
Each year, light pollution causes our once dark skies to become about 10% lighter. This significantly hinders our ability to form a deep connection with nature via nocturnal pathways. Nature connectedness is significant to humans’ overall mental health and well-being. Traditional research in this field has focused on daytime activities, mainly sunlight exposure. However, there is emerging research that shows Dark Nature, the nocturnal environment and the activities within, could be a significant vehicle for people to increase their nature exposure. Dark Nature includes camping, moon gardening, moon bathing, bat watching, and of course astronomy. It is the simple exposure to the night sky that increase one’s feeling of connectedness to it. However, “’If the brightening of the night sky continues at the current rate, a child born in a place where 250 stars are visible will only be able to see 100 stars there on their 18th birthday.”
ESO/P. Horálek, M. Wallner
Stargazing and Nature Connectedness
Stargazing is more than sitting on a grassy knoll and gazing upwards. Dr. Christopher Barnes, a pioneer in the field says, “there are elements of cognition to understanding the depth and perspective of what you are looking at”. He further explains that people tend to either feel like they are incredibly small in a large universe or they have a deep sense of feeling that they belong to something bigger. Either perspective allows stargazers to experience profound and potential revelations. In the peace and tranquility, people find clarity and unique meaning. Throughout history, these meanings have given rise to traditions and folklore. It has also been found that those who stargaze more frequently find significant growth in their social lives, a strengthening of their community ties, and even personal growth.
Nature connectedness theory posits that creating a connection with nature is about “moments not minutes” says Dr. Christopher Barnes. When people go out to stargaze, they are rapidly increasing their chances of creating these moments. On your way to your stargazing spot, you may be exposed to nocturnal wildlife and insects or flowers that only bloom at night. It is these standout moments that deepen your connection to nature, ultimately increasing your mental health benefits. While larger astronomical events, such as a meteor shower, do tend to get more people out of the house and excited about the night sky, there is currently no research to suggest that certain celestial bodies or events provide more positive impact than others. However, Dr. Barnes ponders that if nature connectedness is about creating moments that stick with you, amateur astronomers may need to seek out something they don’t see every day.
Protecting the Night Sky
Protecting and conserving the natural world often begins with minimizing human impact on the environment. As such, conservation of the night sky begins with taking the issue of light pollution seriously. There are many ways for everyone to get involved. First and foremost, people should follow the five principles of responsible lighting outline by Dark Sky International. When using any light outdoors ensure it is useful, targeted, low-level, controlled, and warm colored. Secondly, when you are out in nature ensure you are using red light to not disorient the wildlife. Finally, everyone should use blinds in the home to reduce how much artificial light sneaks outside. If you want to get even more involved in this issue, you can petition your city to switch to lower Kelvin bulbs and become a dark sky city like Flagstaff, Arizona. Wonder at the universe connects us all together. “We’re both looking at the same moon, in the same world. We’re connected to reality by the same line (Haruki Murakami, Sputnik Sweetheart).” Protecting our view of the stars ensures we keep this deep connection to our own humanity.
References
Ashworth, J. A. (2023, January 19). Increasing light pollution is drowning out the stars | Natural History Museum. Natural History Museum. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2023/january/increasing-light-pollution-drowning-out-stars.html
Barnes, C. (2025). Sr. Lecturer at College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, School of Psychology, University of Derby, Personal communication.
Barnes, C., & Passmore, H. (2023). Development and testing of the Night Sky Connectedness Index (NSCI). Journal of Environmental Psychology, 93, 102198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102198
Barragan, R. C., & Meltzoff, A. N. (2024). Opportunity to view the starry night sky is linked to human emotion and behavioral interest in astronomy. Scientific Reports, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-69920-4
Bell, R., Irvine, K. N., Wilson, C., & Warber, S. L. (2014). Dark Nature: Exploring potential benefits of nocturnal nature-based interaction for human and environmental health. European Journal of Ecopsychology, 5(1), 1–15.