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| April 2025 |

Keep Montana’s Nights Dark and Our Heritage Bright

This week, communities worldwide are celebrating International Dark Sky Week (April 21–28, 2025)—a reminder that protecting the night is just as important as safeguarding our rivers, forests, and mountains.

Montanans have always measured wealth by the sweep of the Big Sky above us. Charlie Russell painted cowboys by starlight; today our children still trace that same shimmering river of the Milky Way from pasture fences and lake shores. Yet across Montana, more and more domes of artificial light are creeping into the night sky—dimming the stars, and slowly washing away the heritage and wonder that have long defined our Big Sky.

Excessive nighttime lighting isn’t just an aesthetic loss. Artificial glow draws migrating birds off course, and window collisions—amplified by city lights—kill hundreds of millions of them annually. Turning lights downward and using warmer, fully shielded fixtures can cut those casualties almost overnight.

Dark skies also bolster human health and our local economy. Visitors drive long hours to Canyon Ferry Lake precisely because they can stand under a velvet sky, gaze at distant galaxies and nebulae, and capture deep-space astrophotos that simply aren’t possible near most American towns. The Montana Learning Center’s worldclass observatory is central to that draw, hosting school groups, researchers, and tourists who book hotels, buy meals, and help rural businesses thrive.

Here’s what we can do—without sacrificing safety:

1. Aim every exterior light down, not out or up.
2. Choose warm bulbs (2,700 K or lower); they cut skyglow and glare.
3. Install motion sensors or timers so lights shine only when needed.
4. Shield existing fixtures with inexpensive snapon covers.
5. Speak up: ask county and city planners to adopt darkskyfriendly codes.

The Montana Learning Center will offer its popular speaker and stargazing nights this summer on the north shore of Canyon Ferry Lake, where you can still see the stars Russell’s cowboys followed. Let’s keep it that way. With a few thoughtful choices, we can ensure every kid growing up in Montana inherits the full Big Sky—bright days, dark nights, and all the wonder that comes with them.

About the author: Ryan Hannahoe is executive director of the Montana Learning Center, a NASA partner that operates one of the largest public-access observatories in the northern Rockies and leads yearround STEM-based programs for students and teachers across Montana.