Contact:
For Immediate Release
Christy Muse, Executive Director
Hill Country Alliance
512.560.3135
The City Dark - Screening and Guest Lecture
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
7:00 PM (doors open at 6:30)
Bee Cave City Hall, 400 Galleria Parkway
A free event for everyone!
The City Dark
With Guest Speaker: Astronomer Bill Wren from the McDonald Observatory
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Pedernales Falls under the
Milky Way by Rob Greebon
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(December
3, 2013) A dark night sky full of big bright stars is important here in
the Hill Country, just like clean rivers, scenic vistas and natural
landscapes. Little by little, light-by-light, the magical mystery of
the big Texas night sky is diminishing. But it’s not too late to reverse
this trend. Directing lights downward and turning them off when not
needed makes a big difference.
HCA presents a special screening of The City Dark
followed by an informative lecture by astronomer, Bill Wren of the McDonald Observatory; Wednesday, December 11th
at the Bee Cave City Hall. Doors open at 6:30, the one-hour film
starts at 7:00 followed by Bill’s presentation and time for Q&A.
The event is free and open to the public.
Bill Wren of the
McDonald Observatory, known as the “ambassador of the night sky,” will
share his expertise about simple strategies to protect starry skies.
“It’s a ‘win-win’ situation”
says Wren. “We can have effective, cost-efficient lighting without
polluting the night sky.”
The City Dark
is a feature documentary about light pollution and the disappearing
night
sky. It premiered in competition at the 2011 South by Southwest Film
Festival, where it won the Jury Prize for Best Score/Music. The film
follows filmmaker (and amateur astronomer) Ian Cheney, who moves to New
York City from Maine and discovers an urban sky
almost completely devoid of stars. Posing a deceptively simple
question—“What do we lose, when we lose the night?”—the film leads
viewers on a quest to understand how light pollution affects people and
the planet. In six chapters weaving together cutting-edge
science with personal, meditative sequences reflecting on the human
relationship to the sky.
HCA has been partnering
with the McDonald Observatory and local Hill Country community
organizations creating an entire menu of programs aimed at reducing
light pollution.
Workshops have been hosted in Junction, Fredericksburg, Johnson City,
Llano, Kerrville, San Antonio and San Marcos. A “Night Sky Coop” was
formed in 2011 where landowners and businesses take a voluntary pledge
to end light trespass from their land. In 2012,
a new chamber of commerce recognition program was created where
businesses are acknowledged for being night sky friendly.
Did you know Travis
County is about to add an observatory at Reimers Ranch? The more we
reduce light pollution, the more stars our kids will see at night!
More information about protecting the Night Skies of the Hill Country can be found at
www.hillcountrynightskies.org
The Hill Country
Alliance (HCA) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to raise
public awareness and build community support around the need to preserve
the natural resources and
heritage of the Central Texas Hill Country. Please visit the HCA
website, www.hillcountryalliance.org, for more information about the latest news, events and initiatives, and how you can contribute to our activities.
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