So, I'm posting this half-way through the event but...

National Dark Sky Week, April 19–26

here's the full text:

National Dark Sky Week, April 19–26
Help people appreciate a dark sky.
by Michael E. Bakich


National Dark Sky Week (NDSW) is going on right now — from April 19 to 26 between 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. EDT. It is one week each year when everyone in the United States helps reduce light pollution temporarily by turning off unnecessary lights. The idea is to step back for a moment and realize the wonder that our universe holds. If everyone participates, NDSW will inspire us to use more-effective, less-obtrusive lighting systems.

If National Dark Sky Week succeeds: 1) Light pollution will be temporarily reduced, allowing us to see the night sky in greater detail; 2) We will be encouraged to use better lighting fixtures, leading to 52 dark-sky weeks a year; 3) We all will gain a greater appreciation for astronomy and reclaim the night sky lost to poor lighting.

Safety is an important issue during National Dark Sky Week. Please do not turn out any lights that are necessary, such as those needed for busy walkways or parking lots. When observing the night sky during NDSW, it’s a good idea to stay in a large group of people in a safe location. Carry a red-tinted flashlight with you; it will allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness yet still allow you to see in the dark.


Click the image above to see a display of light pollution around the world.
P. Cinzano, F. Falchi (Univ. of Padova), C. D. Elvidge (NOAA National Geophysical Data Center)
To participate in National Dark Sky Week, spread the word, turn out your lights during the specified times, and see the greatest show the universe has to offer from a safe location. Other options for NDSW include visiting star parties and observatories that are hosting local events.

In 2005, this week occurs April 3–9. For more information on this event, visit the National Dark Sky Week web site.

zymtil, you need to lighten up a little.

Oh, your such a kidder. I should have seen that one coming a mile away (but didn't).

why don't you turn that light out in your window on Babylon V. I can see it real good from here. Maybe you are afraid you won't see your spoo well enough to eat it.

You're probably still under the mental influence of your dark masters, zymy-boy.

Man, I didn't even know that such a thing existed as "national dark sky week". It sounds like a really cool idea but unfortunately I don't think that many people would care to participate. I LOVE looking up at the stars. I am a big star gazer, I could do it for hours on end and not get bored. That's one of the many things that I love about camping. Anyway, sometimes I'll be out in my backyard and night and just pray for a city wide power outage but of course it's never happend. I was actually in my back yard with the telescope earlier tonight looking at Venus. It had a deep purplish tint to it, it was so beautiful. And I LOVE meteor showers. So cool. The nature of our universe is such an interesting topic.

I also love star gazing.
At one time I spent many weekends out in the country.
I could also lay on a cot and just look up for hours without getting bored.
I live in the middle of Los Angeles and miss it terribly.

All jokes aside, artificial light pollution is a serious issue for amateur as well as professional astronomers

Jamie

I've always wondered, if the universe is ever expanding, what is on the other side before it gets there.

A restaurant.

Yeah, and talking cows that politely ask you which part of them you would like to eat.

with a motel 6?

Yum... a hearty meal of mountain oysters followed by a good nights sleep surrounded by cinder block.

"We'll keep a light on for ya."

(So technically it's Tom Bodett's fault for the light pollution.)

Jamie, Thanks for the link, on the main NDSW they mention something about using better light fixtures, but don't offer any additional information. Last night, I sent them an email adressing the issue.

Oh and JGOO, your right, not many people know either a)know about it or b) care about participating. To tell you the truth, I didn't know about it until yesterday, when I was looking at this month's astronomy news.

Samekenny2 (I'm assuming your the same person as samekenny and kenny), I love going out to the country to gaze at the stars. I used to go out to the Davis mountains about once or twice a year, and the level of detail in the sky was absolutely phenomenal.

Tucson has a light pollution ordinance, because of the many large telescopes right outside of town. They limit the amount of lighting in town, and people must have their outside lights aimed down toward the ground, rather than up and out.

It makes a BIG difference in your ability to see stars.

Nina

Nothing, I guess. There are so many unanswered questions about the universe. You can start a journey out into it and never, ever, ever reach an end or circle around back to your original starting point.
The universe as we know it hasn't always been around, but the space it occupies must have always been around. It is beyond my comprehension that all that empty space has absolutely NO starting point. It's just alwasy been there, forever and ever and ever. How can that be?
On earth, something always has a beginning, a middle, and an end. In space, all of that is non-existant.
The concept of eternity itself is way beyond my comprehension. It never ends. It just keeps going and going and going, forever.
If a blackhole has a gravity so big that not even light can escape it then howcome it doesn't just collapse in on itself and cease to exist?
New planets, galaxies, starts, etc. are being formed all the time in our universe. Where is all of this matter coming from and where/how did it come to be before there was anything there at all?

There are many more too. I find it all so fascinating. One of my favorite things to watch on PBS when it's on (besides Victor Borge!) is the Carl Sagan series. What a brilliant man who could explain everything that he did the way that he did and make it understandable to the people watching.

Paging Mrs. Bily.

lol, Mrs. Bily being your Language Arts teacher + typing quickly and not proofing = slop.