Do you enjoy looking at the night sky?

Stargazing is a wonderful pastime enjoyed by millions of people all around the world. Anyone can join in. Here's how...

Find a dark area away from lights and with a good view of the night sky. Gradually, your eyes will adjust to the dark and you will begin to see many stars. Use a good pair of binoculars to see even more stars and other celestial objects.
 

The Evening Sky Map
To help find your way around the night sky, Skymaps.com makes available for free each month The Evening Sky Map -- a 2-page monthly guide to the night skies of the world -- northern and southern hemispheres, and the equatorial regions. Each issue contains a detailed sky map, a monthly sky calendar, and a descriptive list of the best objects to see with binoculars, a telescope, or using just your eyes. Download star charts -- find constellations, planets and comets. Download the latest issue

The Evening Sky Map is suitable for all stargazers including newcomers to astronomy. And, The Evening Sky Map will print clearly on any printer.

The Evening Sky Map is ready-to-use and will help you to:

• identify planets, stars and major constellations
• find sparkling star clusters, wispy nebulae & distant galaxies
• locate and follow bright comets across the sky
• learn about the night sky and astronomy

Download Now -- and discover the Universe you live in!

A solution to light pollution!

By selecting dark sky compatible light fixtures we can help reduce light pollution in our communities.

Preserving the Night Sky

Viewing the night sky in a remote wilderness can be a much different experience than night sky viewing in a city. Excessive and misdirected artificial light escapes to the sky and affects our view of stars, planets and more. Even in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, the night sky appears dimmed by the faint glow of “sky glow,” a form of light pollution.
 

Light pollution is defined by the International Dark-Sky Association as “the inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light.” In addition to obscuring our view of the night sky, light pollution can have negative effects on both people and nature. Exposure to artificial light while we sleep can disrupt our sleep cycle and affect our health. Light pollution can also cause harm to wildlife including the interruption of migration and disruption of predator-prey relationships.
 

The good news is light pollution is reversible! Simply by choosing appropriate exterior light fixtures and blubs we can help reduce light pollution and preserve the night sky.
 

For information on how you can help protect the night, visit the International Dark-Sky Association’s website: www.darksky.org