Fountain Hills advocate urges protection of night sky, highlights sixth annual Dark Sky Festival

Vicky Dirkson, owner of Night Sky Tourist and a long-time dark-sky advocate in Fountain Hills, urged protection of the town's night sky and described the sixth annual Dark Sky Festival that drew visitors from across the Phoenix metro area.

"I love looking at the night sky because for me, it really grounds me and reminds me of my place in the world," Dirkson said. "And it gives me that huge sense of awe that feels really overwhelming, but in a very positive way." She said she has been involved in Fountain Hills' dark-sky efforts "ever since it got started about 7 or 8 years ago."

Dirkson recounted growing up in Northern Idaho, where she said she saw the Milky Way every night, and contrasted that with living in Phoenix before moving to Fountain Hills. "So when I finally moved out to Fountain Hills, I got some of the stars back, and that's when I realized how important it was for us to protect that natural resource," she said.

Dirkson described the recent festival as a regional draw. "We just hosted the sixth annual Dark Sky Festival here in Fountain Hills, and we had such an incredible drawing people from all over the Phoenix Metro Area," she said. "People across the valley are recognizing that Fountain Hills is a place to go to see the night sky."

She encouraged residents to look up. "Half of the human experience takes place at night under the night sky, and we forget to look up. And so I encourage people to take time to go look at the stars," Dirkson said. In the same comment she also urged people to "Go look at the moon," and noted, "Fountain Hills is located next to America's Fifth largest city."