![]() That has changed in most of the world with the advent of the electric light. Past peoples used the stars because they were an integral part of life. Stories were woven about the meanings of the positions of different stars, answers to life problems were foretold in the movements of heavenly bodies. What ramifications does removing the dark night sky have on people? Does it make them feel safer? Has it changed what people do at night or how they view their surroundings?Īncient peoples studied the stars for thousands of years and used these observations for navigation, predicting or confirming seasonal changes, and religious purposes. ![]() Some lighting is for safety, advertising, or other societal reasons. Over the past hundred or so years, outdoor lighting has been increasing to the point where it’s always light out, even at night. Modern electric lights have changed the way people view and react to the night. The light could also symbolize progress towards civilizing the frontier or bringing the 20th century to the citizens of the isolated Big Bend region. It could mean “civilization” depending on who was viewing the lights. Seeing this at night would definitely indicate more than just an isolated dwelling. In the early 1900’s, the mining operations at Terlingua introduced modern lighting to a few of the larger buildings in the area. The light would perhaps give comfort knowing that shelter, a meal, or just other people were in the area. When recorded history began in the Big Bend, a traveler at night might see a dim glow of a campfire or a lamp through a window in an isolated farm or ranch house. The dark night sky has always been a visual impression in the Big Bend, with very few exceptions. Realistically, one can see approximately 2,000 stars on a clear night here, compared to perhaps a few hundred in a medium-sized city. This can be a real surprise to visitors when they are outside in the Big Bend at night and see the Milky Way in its full glory for perhaps the first time in their life. Most urban areas have such an abundance of light that very few stars are able to be seen. The obvious impression one gets of wilderness in the Big Bend is the lack of visible lights indicating a house or a town. One factor that makes this possible is simply the sparse human occupation of this region. In fact, it has the least light pollution of any other National Park unit in the lower 48 states. And hooked.īig Bend is known as one of the outstanding places in North America for star gazing. This was a real eye opening experience for me since I had never seen so many stars as I did when I first arrived. Then I was invited to guide on the Rio Grande in the Big Bend. While attending college, I began a summer career as a river guide and once again being far from the city made the dark night sky something I looked forward to experiencing. ![]() It took a while to realize that it was happening, but camping trips to the mountains made it obvious enough for my family to comment on it. As time went on, the city got larger, more lights appeared, the Milky Way was more difficult to see. Growing up in a small city in Colorado, seeing the Milky Way galaxy was a nightly experience. This is a Night Stars Premium Series laser landscape light that is great for year-round applications.NPS Photo Remember when you could see the Milky Way? You can choose from multiple moving light patterns and switch the color of the lights - red, green, or red & green combo. The unit comes with a radio frequency remote to control the movement, speed, color, and schedule. ![]() The projector uses Night Stars "move" technology which projects a magnificent laser light show of moving pinpoints of lights. The Night Stars Moving Red and Green Kaleidoscope Laser Light creates a wonderful moving lighting display. ![]()
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