Starry Skies North

Turn off the lights, turn on the stars!

Starry Skies North, the mid-continent chapter of DarkSky International, is raising funds to protect dark skies and we need YOUR help! Here in the Upper Midwest, whether along the shores of Lake Superior or in the Twin Cities, the stars are getting harder and harder to see. Light pollution, the excessive use of artificial light at night, blots out stars, creates skyglow and threatens human and ecological health. Starry Skies North is a nationally recognized, all-volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit working to inform residents, businesses, and government leaders about both the negative impacts of light pollution and the solutions that exist. These solutions include outdoor lighting that improves our quality of life, preserves our natural environment, protects human health while reducing climate change and social injustice. People all across our region have a vision of a nightscape full of stars, and we want to steward that change. 

"Mni Sota Makoce" (Minnesota) translates to "land where the waters reflect the skies" We want our waters reflecting starry skies!

Your support advances the following initiatives:

• Dark Sky Friendly Business Certification
• Advocacy taskforce/committee
• Education & outreach: debunking that brighter is always safer!
• Citizen science: participating in light pollution research
• Equipment to measure night sky brightness
• Night Sky Place Designations in Minnesota
• Developing partnerships with like-minded organizations