DarkSky Texas - Formerly IDA Texas

First Wednesday 7PM: Dark Sky Place Coaching
2025-08-06, 2025-07-02, 2025-06-04
Working on an International Dark Sky Place application? Join us at 7:00PM on the first Wednesday of each month (with the exception of Jan 2025 when the event will be Jan 8th). See full list of events for more info.

22 July 2025 7-8:30 PM DarkSky Texas Board Meeting (Open to all Volunteers)
2025-07-22 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Review the Agenda and Join us! The agenda has the link to join the meeting.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MjF1JRDxOfqbuEF13mEwKZLu8CO6Ozr1/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105677860306105778141&rtpof=true&sd=true

May 13, 2025 – DARKSKY TEXAS BOARD MEETING (OPEN TO All)
2025-05-13 19:00 - 20:30
Sit in on the DarkSky Texas Board of Directors Meeting. It’s open to all of our membership. We especially encourage attendance by representatives of county-wide night sky related groups, astronomy club reps, and others who want to volunteer.
DarkSky Texas Board Meetings
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 · 7:00 – 8:30pm Central Time
Zoom joining info
Video call link: https://zoom.us/j/92016950186

May 4th - Denton Redbud Festival
2025-05-04 11:00 - 17:00
Celebrate Earth Month in the Redbud Capital of Texas!
The award-winning Denton Redbud Festival has been promoting community beautification and Denton pride since 1994. The Redbud Festival features dozens of vendors with tree and plant sales, gardening supplies, household items and local/handmade products, along with family-friendly activities and live, local music.
DarkSky Texas will host a table with an exhibit of better lights for better nights.
Location: Denton Civic Center and Quakertown Park

4/26 Night Sky Celebration (City of Carrollton)
2025-04-26 19:00 - 21:00
Come for an evening under the night sky at Elm Fork Nature Center, sponsored by the City of Carrollton, DarkSky Texas, NASA, and the National Space Society of N. Texas. Discover the wonders of the dark sky, see a life size NASA space exploration suit, see nocturnal creatures that call the nature preserve home, enjoy stargazing, and more exciting activities!
The event also includes an 8pm night hike around the Preserve.

April 25, 2025 – Dark Sky Day at the Texas Capitol
2025-04-25 09:30 - 16:00
On April 25, 2025, supporters gathered at the Texas Capitol for Dark Sky Day at the Capitol.
Representative Troxclair honored DarkSky Texas on the floor of the Texas House, recognizing our efforts to reduce light pollution across the state.
We were proud to be supported by both Senator Blanco and Representative Troxclair, who sponsored resolutions marking this important day.
Watch the video embedded above (or view it directly here) to see Representative Troxclair’s remarks honoring DarkSky Texas.

April 9, 2025 – DarkSky Texas: Night Lights and Bat Flights with Dr. Amanda Adams
2025-04-09 19:00 - 20:00
Watch the “Night Lights and Bat Flights” webinar with Dr. Amanda Adams

This webinar explores how artificial light at night affects bats’ flight, foraging, and survival — and why lighting choices matter for protecting nocturnal wildlife.
Dr. Amanda Adams of Bat Conservation International (BCI) shares insights from two decades of global bat research.

3/28 at 7pm Liberty Hill Star Party
2025-03-28 19:00 - 22:00
Join us in Liberty Hill, Friday March 28th, 7PM telescope set up, crafts for the children sponsored by the library and an educational table will be set up by LH Save Our Stars. Viewing and education starting at 8 until 10 by Austin Astronomical Group.

March 1st 5-8pm Lampasas Stars at Night
2025-03-01 17:00 - 20:00
Gather from 5pm to 8 pm for family friendly activities, information tables, night sky demos, panel discussions, food vendors, and the big event: stargazing with professional telescopes! Learn more at: https://www.visionlampasas.org/friends-of-the-night-sky.html

Jan 28, 2025 - Dark Sky Places: All You Want to Know About Them
2025-01-28 19:00 - 20:00
Want to know more about International Dark Sky Places? What’s the same about each type of place and what’s different? How do I get started or get things moving again if they have stagnated?
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97704446878?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 977 0444 6878
Passcode: [REDACTED]

December 12, 2024 – Lighting for Safer Streets with Debbie Moran
2024-12-12 19:00 - 20:00
In most cities, perceptions of safety are the primary driver for lighting policy. Often these perceptions are dead wrong and perpetuated by well-meaning officials who do not understand that LED technology easily creates disabling glare and is unforgiving. We now have not just glare but glare on steroids.

March 6, 2024 – Dark Sky Approved Sports Lighting
2024-03-06 19:00 - 20:00
Missed our event on better options for sports field lighting? No problem! Watch the two videos from the event to catch up on everything you need to know.
In this informative session, Brad Schlesselman from Musco Lighting, who serves as the Chair of the Discomfort Glare in Outdoor Nighttime Environments (DGONE) Committee of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), shared insights into neighborhood-friendly outdoor sports lighting and the advancements in lighting technology that make it possible.
Brad is also a member of several other IES Committees and serves as Treasurer on the DarkSky International Board of Directors, contributing his expertise to the DarkSky Finance and Technical Committees.
Watch the videos below to see how the DarkSky Approved Outdoor Sports Lighting Program sets the standard for minimizing glare and light pollution while enhancing athletic field visibility.
Watch the videos here:

Dark Sky Compliance in Sports Lighting Solutions
Eco-Friendly Solutions for Outdoor Sports Lighting

Don’t forget to share this information with your local sports lighting decision-makers! It’s never too late to explore better options for your community’s sports fields.

October 26, 2021 – Kick Start Public Outreach in Your Community!
2021-10-26 18:30 - 20:00
Missed our meeting? Don’t worry—you can now watch the full session on YouTube!
In this insightful meeting, Art Schneider, IDA Texas North Texas Regional Manager, and Amy Jackson, Central Texas Regional Manager, guided participants through the process of spreading awareness about protecting our night skies. Whether you’re looking to engage your local community or give presentations to clubs like Rotary, astronomy groups, or schools, this session provides everything you need to know to get started.
You’ll learn:

How to prepare and deliver effective presentations for various community groups
How to connect with local schools and educators
How to use IDA Texas resources, including videos, PowerPoints, and hands-on activities
Creative demonstration ideas, such as using color grating and mapping the night sky

Watch the full video here: Kick Start Your Dark Sky Advocacy Work
Even if you missed the live session, you can still get involved in advocating for dark skies in your community. Watch the video and share it with others who care about keeping our night skies pristine.

October 20, 2020 – IDA Texas: Speaker Emma Schmidt
2020-10-20 19:00 - 20:00
Learn about the “Fight for the Stars: Be a Knight for the Night” program for elementary and middle schoolers that you can take to young people in your area. Select “Online Learning” at the top of this webpage to explore this exciting educational program.
Click here to listen to Emma explain the program in a Facebook live session.

October 1, 2020 – Wild Neighbors Series
2020-10-01 12:00
Humans have come to depend on artificial light for night-time activities. Do we understand how artificial light at night affects plants, animals, and even our own health? Watch Cindy Luongo Cassidy give us a peek into our natural world after dark and the effect that artificial light has on it. Her talk starts about 7 minutes into the video. Downloads: Five Lighting Principles and Better Lights for Better Nights Graphic

July 16, 2020 – IDA Texas: Speaker Bill Wren
2020-07-16 19:00 - 20:00
Watch IDA Texas Present Bill Wren of McDonald Observatory talk about the proposed Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve.
