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Artificial Light at Night (ALAN)

ALAN is surging

Skyglow fouls the night sky for more than 80% of all people and more than 99% of the U.S. and European populations.
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Artificial Light at Night (ALAN)

SIMPLE STEPS FOR
BETTER LIGHTING

Simple steps can reduce light pollution without compromising safety and even save you money.
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2024 DarkSky Missouri Festival

Join us for a weekend in the Ozarks in the darkest skies of Missouri.

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Event Schedule (Preliminary)

Dark Sky Festival taking place October 25-26, 2024

Friday Afternoon - 5:00 pm:

  • Meet and greet with light snacks/ drinks provided
  • Tentative foraging walk scheduled for Friday afternoon, time to be determined.

Friday Evening - 7:00 pm:

  • Informal Star Party begins with an introduction to stars/constellations likely to be seen.
  • Setup telescopes anytime in the afternoon on the grounds.
  • Lasting till 11 pm but can extend later if wanted.

Saturday Morning - 8:00 am:

  • Nature Walk with MDC naturalist.
  • Rest of morning free to explore the area-hike, float, fish, etc.

Saturday Afternoon - 2:00 pm:

  • Tabling booths/groups to be set up and active during the afternoon with speakers/ presenters to have hourly programs.

Saturday Evening - 5:00 pm:

  • Break for Dinner

Saturday Evening - 7:00 pm:

  • Formal Star Party begins with an introduction to stars/constellations likely to be seen.
  • Lasting till 11 pm but can extend later if wanted.

Participation in the festival is free.

More Information

For more information, download this PDF or contact us.

download pdf with more information

2024 Dark-Sky Festival in Arkansas

On September 26-28, 2024, just one month before DarkSky Missouri's Festival, the Arkansas Natural Sky Association will once again hold a festival alongside Bear Creek just south of the Buffalo National River in Searcy County. 

The festival will feature Jennifer Wiseman, the Senior Project Scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope and a former resident of Mountain Home, as the keynote speaker.

Festival activities include a star party featuring the Summer Milky Way, activities such as hiking, swimming, floating, and talks.

Visit the Dark Sky Arkansas Festival Website
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Get Involved

Explore ways to protect Missouri night skies from artificial light at night.  Actions range from taking simple steps at home to promoting our work in parks, cities and with state officials.  We are here to help with expertise and resources.

Dark Sky Places

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Help us protect our Missouri heritage by getting parks and cities in Missouri certified under the "International Dark Sky Places Program".  If you are a park or city, you can submit  a request to learn more.
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Ordinances, Resolutions

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Adopt a statute, ordinance, or resolution for your community. View DarkSky International's resource center that includes a model ordinance and helpful guides. Get help from DarkSky Missouri.

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Request a Program

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Host an event about light pollution in Missouri.  You can ask us for a speaker or program, or we can provide with resources to help you give the talk on your own.
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Lights Out to Save Birds

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An estimated 600 millions birds in the U.S. die each year from collisions with buildings during spring/fall migration. Our "Lights Out Heartland" campaign aims to make their migration safer.
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Certify Your Home

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Is your home nature, neighbor, and night sky friendly? You can find out in four easy steps. Then, follow our user-guide to certify your home and download a free dark sky friendly home certificate! Make your house "neighbor friendly".
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Citizen Science

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Become a citizen scientist and have fun using your smartphone and telescopes! Explore projects that will help you measure and understand light pollution's impact on the night sky and and life on Earth.
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Submit Your Photo

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Who doesn't love photos of the Milky Way? We are sharing photos of the Missouri night sky taken by amateur and professional photographers. Please send us your photos and enjoy amazing photos submitted by others.
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Missouri Dark Skies

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Would you like to find the darkest skies in Missouri? Missouri still has over 50 parks and locations where the Milky Way is visible on a moonless night. We are building maps and tables so you can find the darkest skies in Missouri.
LEARN MORE

Learning Center

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Learn responsible lighting basics, what a "Bortle Scale" means, how to handle a "Light Trespass Problem" and more by exploring our Learning Center.
LEARN MORE

Resources and News

View DarkSky Missouri's calendar of events, latest news, articles of interest, and download FREE brochures and reports.

2024 DarkSky Festival

Save the Date!!

Please "Save the date" of October 25-26, 2024 for our first DarkSky Missouri Festival.

Plans are to hold the festival within Ozark National Scenic Riverways located near Van Buren, MO. The event will include programs and stargazing (weather permitting). Details will be coming soon!

Learn More

Upcoming Events

Virtual: Lights Out During Fall Migration
06 Aug 2024
02:00PM - 03:00PM

Virtual: Lights Out During Fall Migration
06 Aug 2024
02:00PM - 03:00PM

In-Person: Gateway Arch National Park
10 Aug 2024
07:00PM - 10:00PM

In-Person: Stacy Park - Star Party
12 Sep 2024
07:00PM - 09:00PM

In-Person: Gateway Arch National Park
13 Sep 2024
06:30PM - 08:30PM

Virtual: DarkSky Missouri Board Meeting
19 Sep 2024
06:30PM - 08:00PM

Arkansas Dark-Sky Festival
26 Sep 2024
08:00PM - 10:00PM

Arkansas Dark-Sky Festival
26 Sep 2024
08:00PM - 10:00PM

Arkansas Dark-Sky Festival
26 Sep 2024
08:00PM - 10:00PM

Stacy Park - Star Party
10 Oct 2024
07:00PM - 09:00PM

See Full Calendar

Explore Our Work

DarkSky Missouri News

Ordinances/Resolutions

Articles of Interest

FREE Downloads

Chapter Annual Report

Get Involved

ALAN:  State of the Science 2024

“State Of The Science 2024” condenses the current scientific consensus on how artificial light affects seven key topics: the night sky; wildlife and ecology; human health; public safety; energy use and climate change; social justice; and a discussion of the emerging threat from light pollution caused by objects orbiting the Earth. Where gaps exist in our knowledge, we highlight them as targets of future research."

Download report
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Stacy Park - Fourth UNSP in the World

IDA Missouri is pleased to announce that Stacy Park, located in the City of Olivette, Missouri, has been designated by IDA as the world's fourth Urban Night Sky Place.

Download press release
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VR/360 Film

Enjoy this VR/360 film featuring the Gateway Arch National Park.  The eight-minute, immersive experience provides a 360-degree view of the panoramic view of the night sky above the grounds of the Gateway Arch National Park. The loss of our night sky heritage is illustrated in terms of the Bortle Scale, a nine-level numeric scale that provides a consistent standard for comparing skies with differing levels of light pollution. Viewers can seamlessly pan the night sky in all directions as if standing on the grounds of the Gateway Arch National Park.

View Press releaseViewing instructions

Our Mission

The mission of DarkSky Missouri is to raise awareness about light pollution issues in Missouri, promote quality outdoor lighting, protect our natural environment and our beautiful night sky, and educate the public how reducing light pollution can lower energy costs.

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