International Dark Sky Week 2020 Schedule
Join us for live presentations and videos from dark sky experts from around the world!
Presentations will be rolled out on IDA’s YouTube Channel and social media following the dates and times listed below.
Note that some presentations will be broadcast live, so you can interact with the presenter in a Q&A session. You can join live presentations and ask your dark sky questions on YouTube or Facebook at the presentation’s scheduled time. Schedule subject to changes.
Day 1
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Day 1
Sunday, April 19
Presentation Released at 12pm PdT
Crash Course: Amateur Astronomy
with Tracie Beuden
Learn the basics of navigating the night sky from your own space.
Presentation Released at 2pm PDT
I, Humanity: An Interactive Learning Experience about Our Place in the Universe
with Jeff Bennett.
Follow along as Jeff invites young students to ask ‘what is our place in the Universe?’
Presentation released at 3pm PdT
The Lost Constellations
with John Barentine.
The lost constellations are important today because they teach us how humans tried to impose a sense of order and structure on the night sky. They may also have something to tell us about the night sky of the future. John will speak about a different lost constellation every day during IDSW.
presentation released at 4pm PdT
A Reading from “Cassandra and the Night Sky”
with Amy Jackson.
The story is about a brave girl who grows up in a land without stars. For grades K-5.
Day 2
Monday, April 20, 2020
Day 2
Monday, April 20, 2020
Live! at 9am PDT
Dark Sky Art in the Parks – Live with Q&A!
with Dr. Tyler Nordgren.
Art is at the heart of the U.S. National Parks. A new generation of night sky photography and “See the Milky Way” travel posters have played a significant part in the realization that ‘Half the Park is After Dark.” Tune in to @idadarksky on Facebook or YouTube to watch live. Submit questions using hashtag #IDSW2020.
Presentation released at 11am PdT
NASA & Anthropogenic Light Spread
with Crystal White
Take a look at NASA missions and projects that are shedding light on the spread of artificial light at night.
presentation released at 12pm PDT
Sauver La Nuit
with Samuel Challeat
Samuel Challéat traces the history of the demand for a “right to darkness” concomitant with urban development and describes how a pioneering front determined to save the night is organized today. In French.
Live! at 4pm PdT
The Lost Constellations – Live with Q&A!
with John Barentine
The lost constellations are important today because they teach us how humans tried to impose a sense of order and structure on the night sky. They may also have something to tell us about the night sky of the future. John will speak about a different lost constellation every day during IDSW. Tune in to @idadarksky on Facebook or YouTube to watch live. Submit questions using hashtag #IDSW2020.
Presentation Released at 5pm PdT
Dark Skies Down Under
with Fred Watson.
The southern hemisphere boasts some of the most important objects in the night sky. In this short talk, Dr. Watson highlights Australia’s view of the heavens.
Day 3
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Day 3
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Live! at 11 am PDT
Childhood and the Night – Live with Q&A!
with Dr. Richard Louv.
Dr. Louv, the author of Last Child in the Woods, will discuss the importance of the natural night sky to a child’s development. Tune in to @idadarksky on Facebook or YouTube to watch live. Submit questions using hashtag #IDSW2020.
presentation released at 12pm PdT
Echoes of the Ancient Skies
with E. C. Krupp
When our ancient and prehistoric ancestors tried to understand their place in the universe, they reached for answers from the sky.
presentation released at 2pm pdt
Historias Cósmicas en la Oscuridad (Cosmic Stories in the Dark)
with Tepeu Poz.
Learn about the cosmic memory of the Mayan people in the Guatemalan highlands. In Spanish.
presentation released at 3pm pdt
The Lost Constellations
with John Barentine.
The lost constellations are important today because they teach us how humans tried to impose a sense of order and structure on the night sky. They may also have something to tell us about the night sky of the future. John will speak about a different lost constellation every day during IDSW.
presentation released at 4pm pdt
A Reading from “The End of Night”
with author Paul Bogard.
Join author Paul Bogard as he reads two selections from his book The End of Night and a third selection from a work in progress.
Day 4
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Day 4
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
presentation released at
10am pdt
Moving in Darkness
with Erica Prather
Let’s get to know the creatures of the night with an interactive, sound-based ‘pop quiz’, understand how light pollution puts them at risk, and explore ways to partner advocacy for biodiversity with advocacy for dark skies.
LIVE! at 11am pdt
Lighting’s Impact on the Animal World – Live with Q&A!
with Dr. Travis Longcore.
Join the presentation for the latest research and practical solutions. Tune in to @idadarksky on Facebook or YouTube to watch live. Submit questions using hashtag #IDSW2020.
presentation released at 12pm pdt
The Dark Side of Street Lighting
with Callum Macgregor
Callum will discuss how, far from being pests of wardrobes and carpets, moths make an important contribution to the health of ecosystems by providing nocturnal pollination to plants. He will then describe how this “ecosystem service” is threatened by artificial light at night.
Live! at 1pm pdt
The Secret Life of Nocturnal Wildlife – Live with Q&A!
with Emily Burns
We’ll look at how often mammals in Southern Arizona are active at night. Tune in to @idadarksky on Facebook or YouTube to watch live. Submit questions using hashtag #IDSW2020.
presentation released at 3pm pdt
The Lost Constellations
with John Barentine.
The lost constellations are important today because they teach us how humans tried to impose a sense of order and structure on the night sky. They may also have something to tell us about the night sky of the future. John will speak about a different lost constellation every day during IDSW.
presentation released at 4pm pdt
Birds and Artificial Light at Night
with John Rowden & Connie Sanchez
John Rowden, Senior Director for Bird-Friendly Communities and Connie Sanchez, Program Coordinator for Bird-Friendly Buildings, of National Audubon Society discuss artificial light at night’s impacts on birds and what National Audubon is doing to address the problem.
presentation released at 5pm pdt
Sex and Synchronicity – firefly courtship
with Avalon C.S. Owens
Avalon will talk about her research looking at the spectral tuning of artificial light at night and its impact on firefly courtship.
Day 5
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Day 5
Thursday, April 23, 2020
presentation released at
10Am pdt
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in Light Pollution
with Fabio Falchi
Fabio Falchi, one of the authors of the First Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness, explores what data and mapping shows us about the status of light pollution around the globe.
presentation released at
1pm pdt
Scale of the Universe
with Jeff Bennett
If you could hold the Sun in your hand, where would we find the planets and other stars? Astrophysicist Jeffrey Bennett will discuss the remarkable scale of the universe in both space and time, so that you’ll see what it REALLY means when we say that something is “astronomical” in size.
Live at 2pm pdt
Telling Sky Legends – Live with Q&A!
with Vivian White
If you’re familiar with the Greek constellations, explore how other civilizations have envisioned the sky. And if you’re a beginning stargazer, discover them all! Learn how to teach about sky legends in ways respectful to everyone, whether it’s a commonly told story or a glimpse into a belief system that is sacred to a culture. Included is an activity to create your own Sky Story with a constellation visible in the sky this season. Tune in to @idadarksky on Facebook or YouTube to watch live. Submit questions using hashtag #IDSW2020.
presentation released at 3pm pdt
The Lost Constellations
with John Barentine
The lost constellations are important today because they teach us how humans tried to impose a sense of order and structure on the night sky. They may also have something to tell us about the night sky of the future. John will speak about a different lost constellation every day during IDSW.
Live! 4pm pDT
SKYGLOW Project – Live with Q&A!
with Harun Mehmedinovic & Gavin Heffernan
The team from SKYGLOWPROJECT.COM present three night sky timelapse videos to help beat the 2020 “Lockdown Blues” and raise awareness about light pollution for International Dark Sky Week. Tune in to @idadarksky on Facebook or YouTube to watch live. Submit questions using hashtag #IDSW2020.
Day 6
Friday, April 24, 2020
Day 6
Friday, April 24, 2020
presentation released at 9am pdt
A Pilot’s View of the Night Sky
with Ulrich Beinert.
Ulrich documents the increasing light pollution from above, showing the beautifully intricate but shockingly wasteful patterns of human civilization as they light up the dark.
Live! at 11am pdt
Shots in the Dark – Live with Q&A!
with Babak Tafreshi.
Babek, a National Geographic photographer, will give us a ‘behind the scenes’ look at his astrophotography work. Tune in to @idadarksky on Facebook or YouTube to watch live. Submit questions using hashtag #IDSW2020.
Live! at 3pm pdt
Astronomy as a Uniting Force
with Mike Simmons
As we share the same sky, astronomy shows us our place in the Universe, and how we are all connected as crew members on Spaceship Earth.
Presentation released at 4pm pdt
The Lost Constellations
with John Barentine.
The lost constellations are important today because they teach us how humans tried to impose a sense of order and structure on the night sky. They may also have something to tell us about the night sky of the future. John will speak about a different lost constellation every day during IDSW.
Day 7
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Day 7
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Live! at 10am pdt
Astrophotography 101
with Bettymaya Foott
Astrophotography for beginners! Any basic camera can capture night sky images. Come learn how you too can take pictures of the night sky with your basic DSLR camera setup.
presentation released at 12pm PdT
The Skies of Our Ancestors
with Peter Lipscomb
The night sky has informed and inspired our kind for all the thousands of years of human history. This presentation will explore the night sky as both a natural and cultural resource. Learn how our ancestors turned observations of the night sky into strategies that became essential for survival.
Live! at 1pm pdt
Protecting and Celebrating the Natural Night Sky in the National Park Service
with Ashley Pipkin
Ashley will discuss why the NPS values the night sky in parks and how they are striving to protect this precious resource.
Presentation released at 2pm pdt
Comparing Light Pollution with Drone Aircraft Interference
with Royce Bair.
A look at the application of environmental regulations in an Oregon sea bird sanctuary.
presentation released at 3pm pdt
The Lost Constellations
with John Barentine
The lost constellations are important today because they teach us how humans tried to impose a sense of order and structure on the night sky. They may also have something to tell us about the night sky of the future. John will speak about a different lost constellation every day during IDSW.
Day 8
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Day 8
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Presentation released at 11am pdt
Maori Cosmovision
with Aroha Rawson
We look at a trusty Maori star cluster and learn its relevance to decision-making for the year ahead. See if you can follow the clues to guess its relationship and/or identity in one of many knowledge baskets from around the world, including Maya and Greek, before the presentation ends.
Live! at 12pm pdt
What’s in the Night Sky Now and How Do I Enjoy It?
with Kelly Beatty
People imagine that astronomy has to be hard, that you need a PhD to study the cosmos. But what makes the study of the stars so wonderful is easily explained. Join Kelly Beatty, senior editor from Sky & Telescope Magazine to talk about what’s in the night sky now, and how you can easily appreciate and enjoy it.
Presentation released at 1pm pdt
The Stars in our Stories.
with Michael Marlin
The stories of the stars are the oldest ever told and humanity continues to make up stories about the stars in our galaxy and beyond. From Apollo’s flying ‘Sun Chariot’ to X-Files flying saucers, we continue to boldly go where we have gone before, which is Infinity and Beyond! Our cultural expressions of the stars brings people into our mission and Marlin‘s take on all things astronomical is lively, humorous and novel.
presentation released at 3pm pdt
The Lost Constellations
with John Barentine
The lost constellations are important today because they teach us how humans tried to impose a sense of order and structure on the night sky. They may also have something to tell us about the night sky of the future. John will speak about a different lost constellation every day during IDSW.
Live! at 4pm pdt
IDSW 2020 Wrap and Reflection
with IDA Leaders
Join IDA leaders to reflect on International Dark Sky Week highlights. Ask your questions about IDA’s work to protect the night.