I listened to singer-songwriter Don McClean’s “Starry, Starry Night” for years before I realized that the actual name of the song was “Vincent,” and that it told the tragic story of Vincent Van Gogh. The opening line refers to his iconic post-impressionist painting, “Starry Night.”

Clearly, in 1889, when Van Gogh gazed out his east-facing window at the moon, Venus and the pre-dawn stars, they were not as spectacular as he painted them. But back then, the night sky of southern France was significantly darker and consequently, celestial objects appeared brighter.

Since the advent of artificial outdoor night lighting, very few places in the world are truly dark at night. Our western states are still relatively dark. One of my colleagues told me about an interpretive activity at the Grand Canyon in which park visitors are invited to record messages describing the beauty of the night sky to the people of the future who, if we don’t change our ways, will never see more than a few stars.

Understand that artificial lighting does far more than just mask the glory of the night sky. Artificial night light is harmful to wildlife, detrimental to human health, and it unnecessarily requires vast amounts of energy. 

When I first started working at Interlochen, the main campus was lit with upward pointing lights which illuminated the stately pines. I admit that the mall was gorgeous at night, but when shielded lights were installed on campus, an amazing thing happened.  Our Campers could see stars at night. For most of them, it was the first time they had seen the Milky Way or a meteor shower.

If we would all use fully shielded dark sky fixtures for outdoor lighting or install timers, or better, motion sensors, we would save money and energy while helping wildlife. And we and future generations will be able to enjoy starry, starry nights.