Sam Owens /Staff photographer Show More Show Less 3 of4Ĭhris Hill checks on the progress of his astrophotography image capturing using two pieces of software called PixInsight and Nighttime Imagining ’N’ Astronomy, also known as N.I.N.A, in the backyard of his Dripping Springs, Texas, home, Thursday night, Dec. The town is one of just 34 officially designated Dark Sky Communities in the world. But this is something that we could lose, as a civilization - our appreciation of where we are in the universe.” Sam Owens, Staff Photographer / San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less 2 of4Īmateur astrophotographer Chris Hill stands near his telescope and camera at his home in Dripping Springs this month. “A lot of people don’t even know what’s up there. “The night sky is extraordinary,” Hill said. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateĬhris Hill, an amateur astrophotographer, stands near his telescope and camera set up in the backyard of his Dripping Springs, Texas, home, Thursday night, Dec. It just takes some planning and people who care about it.” “Flagstaff, Ariz., is a Dark Sky community, and you can see the Milky Way from the Walmart parking lot. have managed to grow while keeping policies in place that maintain the Dark Sky designation and allow for people in big cities to look up at night and see the wonders of the galaxy, Jackson said. “That may not sound substantial, but we have already seen a tremendous loss.”īut there is hope for the preservation of the night sky even as the region experiences profound economic growth, said Amy Jackson, founder and director of Starry Sky Austin and a volunteer with the Hill Country Alliance Night Skies team. “Unfortunately, current light pollution is increasing by 2 percent every year,” said Dawn Davies, the night sky program coordinator with the nonprofit Hill Country Alliance. More people, homes, cars and buildings means more light pollution and less visibility for the starry sky. Towns such as Dripping Springs, for instance, have grown in population by more than 300 percent over the past decade, and the entire Hill Country region is experiencing a residential housing boom as more people flee the metropolitan areas of San Antonio and Austin. And this year, Boerne, Kendall County’s largest city, has attempted to sharpen its lighting ordinances, angling for a Dark Sky Community designation.īut the starry night sky is becoming increasingly threatened by the region’s robust economic development and population boom. The Hill Country is home to all four of Texas’ Dark Sky Communities: Dripping Springs, Wimberley Valley, Fredericksburg and Horseshoe Bay. Wimberley Valley, Texas (U.S.) See More Collapse Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, Colorado (U.S.) Thunder Mountain Pootseev Nightsky (U.S.) ![]() North Ronaldsay Dark Sky Island (Scotland) In addition to communities, there are also official Dark Sky Parks, Dark Sky Reserves, Dark Sky Sanctuaries and Dark Sky Friendly Developments of Distinction.īig Park / Village of Oak Creek, Arizona (U.S.) In essence, a Dark Sky Community is a place where the night sky can be viewed at its absolute best, without the obstruction of bright city lights. To earn a Dark Sky designation, cities, towns, parks or organized communities must go through a rigorous application process that demonstrates both widespread support for the Dark Sky tag as well as specific laws and ordinances that discourage or eliminate nighttime light pollution. ![]() But this is something that we could lose, as a civilization - our appreciation of where we are in the universe.”ĭripping Springs is one of just 34 officially designated Dark Sky Communities on the planet, according to the International Dark Sky Association. Chris Hill, an amateur astrophotographer, captured this image from his backyard in Dripping Springs using an advanced telescope. ![]() The Helix Nebula located in the Aquarius constellation is more commonly known as “The Eye of God.” It’s located about 655 light years from earth. ![]() One of the brightest, closest and most visible planetary nebulae to Earth, the space phenomenon is more commonly known as “The Eye of God.” And Hill, an amateur astrophotographer, can see it from his Dripping Springs home.
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