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Blanco County’s night skies celebrated in song

Blanco County’s night skies celebrated in song

by admin | Mar 23, 2020 | Landowner Alliances, News, Night Skies, Scenic Beauty

Some of the Hill Country’s most talented songwriters and performers gathered on Thursday, March 12 in the Back 40 of the Old 300 BBQ on Blanco’s Town Square to celebrate the night sky in song.  The cause for celebration was the CD Release Party for “Deep in the Dark...
Fredericksburg earns ‘dark sky’ designation

Fredericksburg earns ‘dark sky’ designation

by admin | Mar 2, 2020 | HCA in the News, Land Conservation and Stewardship, Land Stewardship, Landowner Alliances, News, Night Skies, Scenic Beauty

After review by the International Dark-Sky Association Board, the City of Fredericksburg’s application to become an International Dark Sky Community was unanimously endorsed. “The IDA works to protect the night skies for present and future generations by requiring...
Where light pollution is seeping into the rural night sky

Where light pollution is seeping into the rural night sky

by admin | Feb 17, 2020 | Land Conservation and Stewardship, Land Stewardship, Native Landscapes, News, Night Skies

Artificial light that floods the night sky is thought to be only an urban phenomenon. But when you adjust for population, the picture is dramatically different. The rule of thumb is that if you want to see the Milky Way, you have to venture out to the countryside....
Today, 30th anniversary of the Pale Blue Dot

Today, 30th anniversary of the Pale Blue Dot

by admin | Feb 14, 2020 | News, Night Skies, Scenic Beauty

February 14, 1990. Today is the 30th anniversary of an iconic image of Earth, seen from Saturn, taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft. It turned out to be one of the most memorable images ever taken from space. The image came to be known as the Pale Blue Dot, and to be...

Preserving the night sky in Austin

by admin | Feb 12, 2020 | HCA in the News, Low Impact & Sustainable Development, News, Night Skies, Planning and Development, Scenic Beauty

Most evenings in Central Texas, the sky transforms into the legendary violet crown before falling into darkness. Although humans wait for the beauty of the sunset, it is the darkness that animals need, according to Cliff Kaplan of the Hill Country Alliance. “All of...
Fireflies have a mating problem: The lights are always on

Fireflies have a mating problem: The lights are always on

by admin | Feb 5, 2020 | Land Conservation and Stewardship, News, Night Skies, Scenic Beauty, Wildlife

These are tough times for fireflies. Like a lot of other insects, they face increasing threats from habitat loss, pesticides and pollution. But they also have a problem that’s unique to luminous bugs: It’s getting harder for them to reproduce because light pollution...
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