DarkSky Southern Arizona
@darkskysoaz.org
Official Chapter of DarkSky International
1/ We in SoAZ are lucky to have lighting codes that minimize "wasted" light, while allowing necessary light. For astronomy enthusiasts, that means backyard telescopes in Tucson can capture the Andromeda Galaxy in all its glory. But responsible lighting benefits wildlife and human health, as well.
November 26, 2025 at 4:10 PM
1/ We in SoAZ are lucky to have lighting codes that minimize "wasted" light, while allowing necessary light. For astronomy enthusiasts, that means backyard telescopes in Tucson can capture the Andromeda Galaxy in all its glory. But responsible lighting benefits wildlife and human health, as well.
Fighting for ‘The Right to Night’ Under Starry, Rural Skies
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Is the security light in this clip really enhancing safety?
Well designed lighting not only helps preserve our natural skies, but actually improves nighttime visibility.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj38...
Well designed lighting not only helps preserve our natural skies, but actually improves nighttime visibility.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj38...
Bright security light glare makes pedestrian disappear
YouTube video by Steve G
www.youtube.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Is the security light in this clip really enhancing safety?
Well designed lighting not only helps preserve our natural skies, but actually improves nighttime visibility.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj38...
Well designed lighting not only helps preserve our natural skies, but actually improves nighttime visibility.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj38...
Migration here in SoAZ is well underway. Will you help birds along their way by reducing your Artificial Light at Night?
birdcast.info
birdcast.info
BirdCast - Bird migration forecasts in real-time
When, where, and how far will birds migrate? How many birds passed last night? Our tools help you explore the answers to these and many other questions about bird migration.
birdcast.info
September 27, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Migration here in SoAZ is well underway. Will you help birds along their way by reducing your Artificial Light at Night?
birdcast.info
birdcast.info
Did you know SoAZ hosts one of the only three species of synchronous fireflies in the US? We can attest they are lovely. Let’s give them the dark skies they need.
darksky.org/resources/gu...
darksky.org/resources/gu...
Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting
Too often, outdoor electric lighting installations at night are overlit, left on when not needed, and harmful to the environment. As a result, light pollution is a growing global issue that can…
darksky.org
August 30, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Did you know SoAZ hosts one of the only three species of synchronous fireflies in the US? We can attest they are lovely. Let’s give them the dark skies they need.
darksky.org/resources/gu...
darksky.org/resources/gu...
Richard Green, @stewardobservatory.bsky.social Astronomer Emeritus discusses light pollution as it affects SoAZ's important astronomy industry. Also? If you enjoy a good margarita, this is relevant to YOU.
KVOI "The Morning Voice." Enjoy entire episode, or skip to 1:01:30.
tinyurl.com/5v96e6um
KVOI "The Morning Voice." Enjoy entire episode, or skip to 1:01:30.
tinyurl.com/5v96e6um
tinyurl.com
August 22, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Richard Green, @stewardobservatory.bsky.social Astronomer Emeritus discusses light pollution as it affects SoAZ's important astronomy industry. Also? If you enjoy a good margarita, this is relevant to YOU.
KVOI "The Morning Voice." Enjoy entire episode, or skip to 1:01:30.
tinyurl.com/5v96e6um
KVOI "The Morning Voice." Enjoy entire episode, or skip to 1:01:30.
tinyurl.com/5v96e6um
How'd you like to have your bedtime delayed by 50min each night, while getting out of bed earlier in the morning, too? (Me neither!)
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Light pollution causes urban birds to stay awake longer each day, study finds
Researchers ‘shocked’ to discover some species settling down for sleep 50 minutes later than rural counterparts
www.theguardian.com
August 22, 2025 at 2:57 AM
How'd you like to have your bedtime delayed by 50min each night, while getting out of bed earlier in the morning, too? (Me neither!)
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
I’ve heard tell of a couple new dark sky themed podcast series here, but now can’t find them. Anyone?
August 21, 2025 at 1:46 PM
I’ve heard tell of a couple new dark sky themed podcast series here, but now can’t find them. Anyone?
Check out this this lovely @azpm.org piece featuring DSSoAZ's own Mike Weasner.
tv.azpm.org/p/azill-rece...
tv.azpm.org/p/azill-rece...
A Universe of Images - Arizona Illustrated
Southern Arizona is home to some of the best-known astrophotographers, and part of the reason is the local effort to keep skies darker than many other metropolitan areas.
tv.azpm.org
August 9, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Check out this this lovely @azpm.org piece featuring DSSoAZ's own Mike Weasner.
tv.azpm.org/p/azill-rece...
tv.azpm.org/p/azill-rece...
Shout out to Southern Arizona's very own Richard Green for this excellent article in @theconversation.com
theconversation.com/light-pollut...
theconversation.com/light-pollut...
Light pollution is encroaching on observatories around the globe – making it harder for astronomers to study the cosmos
Some observatories that used to be dark and remote are now adjacent to bright urban centers. And sending all telescopes into space isn’t a viable solution.
theconversation.com
August 2, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Shout out to Southern Arizona's very own Richard Green for this excellent article in @theconversation.com
theconversation.com/light-pollut...
theconversation.com/light-pollut...
Do you care about the environment, our burgeoning astro-tourism economy, the important contributions SoAZ's astronomers make to science, including the potential impact risks of "Near Earth Objects," or your own health?
If so, dark skies matter to you, since they matter to all these things.
If so, dark skies matter to you, since they matter to all these things.
July 31, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Do you care about the environment, our burgeoning astro-tourism economy, the important contributions SoAZ's astronomers make to science, including the potential impact risks of "Near Earth Objects," or your own health?
If so, dark skies matter to you, since they matter to all these things.
If so, dark skies matter to you, since they matter to all these things.
While many recognize the threat that the potential “Project Blue” data centers WOULD bring to our water and electricity supplies, a look at such centers in Mesa, AZ indicates light pollution is yet another real concern.
Next public meeting: 5:30pm, July 31, location TBA.
Next public meeting: 5:30pm, July 31, location TBA.
July 24, 2025 at 6:37 PM
While many recognize the threat that the potential “Project Blue” data centers WOULD bring to our water and electricity supplies, a look at such centers in Mesa, AZ indicates light pollution is yet another real concern.
Next public meeting: 5:30pm, July 31, location TBA.
Next public meeting: 5:30pm, July 31, location TBA.
Many of us here in SoAZ are glad to have the summer solstice behind us. Be gone, evil orb!
June 22, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Many of us here in SoAZ are glad to have the summer solstice behind us. Be gone, evil orb!
Australian moths like their night skies dark. Ours probably do, too!
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
This moth makes its epic migration navigating by starlight
Bogong moths fly 1000 kilometers orienting to stars and the Milky Way, an ability never seen before in invertebrates
www.science.org
June 18, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Australian moths like their night skies dark. Ours probably do, too!
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Books about the dark sky are popping up faster than I can read them. That's a good thing! Here, Craig Childs (whose "Secret Knowledge of Water" has been on my read list far too long), speaks about his newest book, "The Wild Dark: Finding the Night Sky in the Age of Light."
tinyurl.com/3khj847w
tinyurl.com/3khj847w
Craig Childs' Quest to Find the Darkest of Dark Skies
For many people, the night sky is an afterthought, especially if you live in a big city, where all the artificial light drowns out the stars. But the nature writer Craig Childs wants to help us redisc...
tinyurl.com
May 20, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Books about the dark sky are popping up faster than I can read them. That's a good thing! Here, Craig Childs (whose "Secret Knowledge of Water" has been on my read list far too long), speaks about his newest book, "The Wild Dark: Finding the Night Sky in the Age of Light."
tinyurl.com/3khj847w
tinyurl.com/3khj847w
Bird migration continues, with well over 1M birds migrating across Pima Cty nearly every night this month (and sometimes over 2M!) This animated short demonstrates how sky glow can steer birds off course, then trapping them in a maze of bright lights and buildings.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ_O...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ_O...
Lights Out for Birds - Animated Short
YouTube video by Cornell Lab of Ornithology
www.youtube.com
May 15, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Bird migration continues, with well over 1M birds migrating across Pima Cty nearly every night this month (and sometimes over 2M!) This animated short demonstrates how sky glow can steer birds off course, then trapping them in a maze of bright lights and buildings.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ_O...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ_O...
Check out the Dark Sky feature in the current "Tucson Insiders Guide!"
issuu.com/visittucson/...
issuu.com/visittucson/...
Tucson Insiders Guide: Official Travel Guide 2025
Published by Visit Tucson and Tucson Lifestyle, this is your guide to what to do, see, eat, drink, experience, and share in Tucson and Southern Arizona.
issuu.com
May 6, 2025 at 4:31 AM
Check out the Dark Sky feature in the current "Tucson Insiders Guide!"
issuu.com/visittucson/...
issuu.com/visittucson/...
Yesterday I celebrated my proverbial lap around the sun by buying some primrose to start a "moon garden," as inspired by @lahenion.bsky.social And I wished that perhaps one person, somewhere, anywhere, decided to turn off one unnecessary light.
April 30, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Yesterday I celebrated my proverbial lap around the sun by buying some primrose to start a "moon garden," as inspired by @lahenion.bsky.social And I wished that perhaps one person, somewhere, anywhere, decided to turn off one unnecessary light.
Star Party TONIGHT at Oracle State Park! Enjoy dark skies and views through Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association telescopes. Open to all!
azstateparks.com/oracle/event...
azstateparks.com/oracle/event...
Star Party at Oracle State Park | Oracle State Park
Join us for an unforgettable evening at Oracle State Park, an International Dark Sky Park, filled with stargazing!
azstateparks.com
April 26, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Star Party TONIGHT at Oracle State Park! Enjoy dark skies and views through Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association telescopes. Open to all!
azstateparks.com/oracle/event...
azstateparks.com/oracle/event...
Look! A book!
(Consider ordering it from your local book seller.)
(Consider ordering it from your local book seller.)
Happy International Dark Sky Week! 🌌
Want to know how you can save the world by stopping light pollution?
Then you MUST grab a copy of my book! Learn how you can be the solution to light pollution and save life on earth as we know it ❤️
Available throughout Europe, US, Canada and Australia 🌎✨💡
Want to know how you can save the world by stopping light pollution?
Then you MUST grab a copy of my book! Learn how you can be the solution to light pollution and save life on earth as we know it ❤️
Available throughout Europe, US, Canada and Australia 🌎✨💡
April 26, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Look! A book!
(Consider ordering it from your local book seller.)
(Consider ordering it from your local book seller.)
Did you know it's estimated nearly 1.25M birds crossed over Pima County last night? Lights out for migration! What can *you* do to make your property just a little bit darker for migrating birds? (Yes! Birds migrate at night!)
dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-AZ...
dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-AZ...
Pima County, Arizona - Night of Apr 22, 2025 - BirdCast Migration Dashboard
Explore nightly migration data in your region
dashboard.birdcast.info
April 24, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Did you know it's estimated nearly 1.25M birds crossed over Pima County last night? Lights out for migration! What can *you* do to make your property just a little bit darker for migrating birds? (Yes! Birds migrate at night!)
dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-AZ...
dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-AZ...
Happy Dark Sky Week!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMLc...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMLc...
Know the Night
YouTube video by DarkSky International
www.youtube.com
April 21, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Happy Dark Sky Week!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMLc...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMLc...
1/4
We are in the midst of spring migration here in SoAZ, for both birds and bats. Bats, birds (surprisingly, many birds migrate at night), as well as the insects and plants (yes, plants!) that sustain them all *need* dark nights for their activities.
We are in the midst of spring migration here in SoAZ, for both birds and bats. Bats, birds (surprisingly, many birds migrate at night), as well as the insects and plants (yes, plants!) that sustain them all *need* dark nights for their activities.
April 21, 2025 at 7:12 PM
1/4
We are in the midst of spring migration here in SoAZ, for both birds and bats. Bats, birds (surprisingly, many birds migrate at night), as well as the insects and plants (yes, plants!) that sustain them all *need* dark nights for their activities.
We are in the midst of spring migration here in SoAZ, for both birds and bats. Bats, birds (surprisingly, many birds migrate at night), as well as the insects and plants (yes, plants!) that sustain them all *need* dark nights for their activities.
