Dark Sky

“You can’t study the darkness by flooding it with light.”

Anarchist and environmentalist Edward Abbey said it plainly. As a desert-dwelling rebel, he must have seen his share of really dark nights during his time as a back-country ranger working and living in the Southwest. He was also buried in a sleeping bag in an undisclosed location in the desert, so dark was clearly not a worry for this man.

That type of true darkness is a blackness that many of us may never see. Whether in a remote location or in the most populated city, darkness (and its wonders) has been pushed out by light.

This week is International Dark Sky Week, a worldwide event to bring attention to the beauty of the dark night and to the threats that could diminish it. Its objectives include the reduction of light pollution, the encouragement of better lighting systems and the study of astronomy. Reducing light excess and securing the majesty of the darkness and stars for future generations is their jam.

The history of this event provides testament to the power of a single person. It was 15-year-old high school student Jennifer Barlow, who in 2003 imagined a week dedicated to the dark, first called for a national Dark Sky Week. 

Light pollution has increased dramatically since we first created artificial light, and results in a bright, sometime weirdly-hued night sky and an inability to see the stars. Light contamination — including skyglow, trespass, over-illumination, light clutter and glare — cause the diminishment of the natural night sky.

We are lucky that only some of those issues are of concern on our little Island, where dark nights were a historical norm. Over time, night lights have been creeping in and our communities have responded. All Island towns have some sort of regulation on the books to guide light fixtures and use. Up-Island, lights must be shielded and pointed downward. Aquinnah’s regulation seeks to “preserve the rural character of the town, promote the habitat of nocturnal wildlife, prevent light pollution, preserve and enhance the character of nighttime views and to be considerate to neighbors.”

Wildlife is affected by our over-reliance on artificial light. Night-flying birds can be distracted and disoriented. Feeding, reproduction, migrating and other behaviors of insects, birds, mammals, fish and people too can be interrupted and altered by unnatural light.

Dark Sky promotes several principles of responsible outdoor lighting. Outdoor light should have a purpose and be used only when needed. They suggest using the lowest level and warmest light that suits the need. Timers or motion sensors make sense to use light sparingly. Let’s keep it darkest before the dawn and the rest of the night, too.

How wonderful that an event imagined by a young visionary continues to this day. The dark sky movement has grown and has its apostles. I suspect that “Cactus Ed” (Abbey) would have been a darkness disciple.

And while Barlow may be approaching middle age, her teenage wisdom resonates now as it did then when she effused: “The night sky is a gift of such tremendous beauty that should not be hidden under a blanket of wasted light. It should be visible so that future generations do not lose touch with the wonder of our universe. It is my wish that people see the night sky in all of its glory, without excess light in the sky as our ancestors saw it hundreds of years ago.”

Suzan Bellincampi is director of the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown, and author of Martha’s Vineyard: A Field Guide to Island Nature and The Nature of Martha’s Vineyard.

This article appears in April 17, 2026.