Have you ever seen the truly dark sky?
I remember seeing it in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. We had stopped for the night on a long driving trip, and I threw a tarp and sleeping bag on the ground for a bed. I awoke sometime in the depths of the night, looking up. In the cool, high, dry mountain air, it felt as if I could touch the stars. Until then, I had never noticed their extravagant colors and dazzling brightness. I was awed, and thrilled, having suddenly awakened to the awesome beauty of the night sky.
What a letdown it was when I got home, went outside at night, and gazed up at a pale, sickly urban sky, nearly bereft of stars. I felt a sadness, like I’d lost a friend. Unfortunately, it is getting harder to have a thrilling dark sky experience, especially in or near big cities. The skies are just not dark enough to showcase that wonderful palette of stars.
DarkSky Missouri is an organization working to protect the starry night sky by reducing unnecessary artificial light at night, which is harmful to migrating birds, nighttime pollinators like bats and moths, and the feeding and mating cycles of many nocturnal animals. Most living beings are tuned to the diurnal cycle ― sunlight and darkness. We need darkness, in fact, to stay healthy. That’s when our bodies rest, our batteries recharge, and we produce melatonin, a health-promoting hormone.
In conjunction with the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, DarkSky Missouri will sponsor a Dark Sky Festival on October 17-18, 2025, at Big Spring on the Current River (no charge, but please register here). It offers an opportunity to explore the magnificence of the night sky in one of the best places in the state to do it ― the natural, undeveloped corridor of the Current River. There are nature walks and educational programs during the day and at night, amateur astronomers set up telescopes in a large field where visitors enjoy outstanding views of stars, planets, and constellations.
After viewing the night sky in all its glory, you can wander down by the nearby Current River. There, you will have a magnificent view of the night sky, framed by the walls of the narrow canyon. But you can also look down, at your feet, where swarms of stars reflect on the dark current, appearing to move upstream ― an illusion described by Leonard Hall in his book about the Current River, Stars Upstream. Linger awhile in this special place. Soak up the natural, undiminished beauty of an Ozark stream, along with a night sky unmarred by civilization.
Photo credit: Ben Caruthers
What a letdown it was when I got home, went outside at night, and gazed up at a pale, sickly urban sky, nearly bereft of stars. I felt a sadness, like I’d lost a friend. Unfortunately, it is getting harder to have a thrilling dark sky experience, especially in or near big cities. The skies are just not dark enough to showcase that wonderful palette of stars.
DarkSky Missouri is an organization working to protect the starry night sky by reducing unnecessary artificial light at night, which is harmful to migrating birds, nighttime pollinators like bats and moths, and the feeding and mating cycles of many nocturnal animals. Most living beings are tuned to the diurnal cycle ― sunlight and darkness. We need darkness, in fact, to stay healthy. That’s when our bodies rest, our batteries recharge, and we produce melatonin, a health-promoting hormone.
In conjunction with the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, DarkSky Missouri will sponsor a Dark Sky Festival on October 17-18, 2025, at Big Spring on the Current River (no charge, but please register here). It offers an opportunity to explore the magnificence of the night sky in one of the best places in the state to do it ― the natural, undeveloped corridor of the Current River. There are nature walks and educational programs during the day and at night, amateur astronomers set up telescopes in a large field where visitors enjoy outstanding views of stars, planets, and constellations.
After viewing the night sky in all its glory, you can wander down by the nearby Current River. There, you will have a magnificent view of the night sky, framed by the walls of the narrow canyon. But you can also look down, at your feet, where swarms of stars reflect on the dark current, appearing to move upstream ― an illusion described by Leonard Hall in his book about the Current River, Stars Upstream. Linger awhile in this special place. Soak up the natural, undiminished beauty of an Ozark stream, along with a night sky unmarred by civilization.
Photo credit: Ben Caruthers
