The sun and moon are joining the celebration and bringing Dark Sky Week to a close by gifting us a few moments of darkness during this year’s total solar eclipse. Tune in to NASA’s live stream and watch the eclipse Live as it moves across North America, starting at 10 am PT.

This weekend, make an effort to spend time away from all forms of artificial light and give your body a rest. Shut your computer, turn off notifications, and listen to the sound of frogs and the crickets at night. Look up at the sky, let your eyes adjust to the darkness, and see how many constellations you can spot.

Dark Sky week is the perfect time to capture the constellations with your camera. As the moon wanes, leading up to the new moon (and solar eclipse) on the 8th, we'll have the opportunity to see the stars with minimal lunar illumination. This makes it easier to focus on fainter celestial objects and achieve more detailed images of the night sky.

Under the night sky, families create lasting memories, passing down tales of generations past and forging new connections with each twinkling light. It's a chance to unplug, unwind, and reconnect with the natural world and with one another.

For billions of years, all life has relied on Earth’s predictable rhythm of day and night. It’s encoded in the DNA of all plants and animals. Plants and animals depend on Earth’s daily cycle of light and dark to govern life-sustaining behaviors such as reproduction, nourishment, sleep, and protection from predators.

Did you know that artificial light can be harmful? Overly bright and unnecessary outdoor lighting creates glare and skyglow, destroying critical nocturnal wildlife habitats, harming human health, and diminishing our view of the stars.

Join Monte Nido in celebrating Dark Sky Week 2024!