Event Calendar & Signup

There are many ways for ordinary people to get involved with reducing light pollution.

Night Bloom Local Programs and Events

These are events hosted by us in your local communities that anyone can get involved in.

Night Bloom's Holiday Lighting Initiative

As the festive season approaches, holiday lights brighten our neighborhoods and bring cheer to winter nights. However, excessive or poorly aimed lighting can contribute to light pollution. This diminishes our view of the stars, disrupts wildlife behavior, and wastes energy. By choosing thoughtful lighting practices, you can help preserve the beauty of the night sky while celebrating responsibly.

Here are some tips for holiday lighting best practices.

Use timers or smart plugs. Limiting lighting time to the evening hours (5–10 pm) lets people see your decorations while saving energy and reducing overnight glare when people aren't around to see them.
Aim lights downward or towards the house. Avoid shining lights upward or across property lines to protect neighbors' enjoyment of the night sky.
Choose warm white bulbs (under 3000K). These produce less blue light, which reduces skyglow and is gentler on wildlife.
Keep brightness moderate. Avoid high-intensity spotlights or floodlights. Subtle, well‑placed lighting can still look beautiful and is much more environmentally friendly.
Turn off non‑essential lights when you're away or after bedtime. Fewer lights on will always minimize light pollution and save you energy.

These small actions can make a big difference in preserving your neighborhood's outdoor charm and supporting local efforts to reduce unnecessary light pollution.

Watch our interview at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FibhepTj-6c

International Dark Sky Week

https://idsw.darksky.org/

Organizer: International Dark‑Sky Association (IDA) in partnership with groups like Astronomical League, American Astronomical Society, and Sky & Telescope.

Some activities include citizen science sky‑quality measurements, “lights‑out” pledges and demonstrations, star parties, family programs, lectures, night‑photography contests, and virtual events and social media campaigns.

International Dark Sky Week occurs annually during April's new moon week, which is April 13–20 in 2026.

Globe at Night

https://globeatnight.org/

Organizer: NOIRLab (National Optical‑Infrared Astronomy Research Lab), supported by Astronomers Without Borders & others.

A long‑running citizen‑science campaign where participants help map global light pollution by reporting sky brightness. Observers go outside >1 hour after sunset (8–10 pm) during moonless nights, use their smartphones to identify constellations, and compare with star‑charts and submit brightness estimates.

Globe at Night occurs throughout the year, with dates depending on each constellation.

Earth Hour

https://www.earthhour.org/

Organizer: World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

During Earth hour, all participants have their lights switched off for 1 hour (20:30–21:30 local time). Other activities include symbolic “hour for Earth” acts like skywatching or discussions. Major landmarks join in too, like the Empire State Building, Colosseum, and Golden Gate Bridge.

Held on the last Saturday of March each year, 20:30–21:30 local time.

International Astronomy Day

https://www.astroleague.org/astronomy-day-fact-sheet/

Organizer: Astronomical League and various national/local astronomy clubs/societies

A day to celebrate astronomy and connect the public with it. Some activities include public star‑parties and telescope viewing in urban parks, lectures, planetarium shows, and educational activities. This is also a great day to do outreach via schools, museums, or libraries.

Held in spring and fall each year. The spring edition is held on Saturday near 1st‑quarter moon between mid‑Apr & mid‑May. The autumn edition is held Saturday near 1st‑quarter moon between mid‑Sep & mid‑Oct.

In 2025, the fall edition is September 27th.

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