Because we can, and because we should: An astronomy professor becomes a dark sky advocate
COMPASSE member Michelle Wooten (University of Alabama at Birmingham) shares her experiences listening to the people in her community who convinced her that, as a professional astronomy community, we carry responsibility to use our leverage to enable both current and future generations to witness, cherish, and discover the wonders of the universe – not just from space, but also from the ground. We can do this through dark sky advocacy.
The Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve and McDonald Observatory
As Superintendent of McDonald Observatory, COMPASSE co-chair Teznie Pugh assisted in the accreditation of 9 million acres (3.6 million ha) of West Texas land as the world’s largest International Dark Sky Reserve (and the first to span an international border). Learn how the observatory supported the designation effort and how the Reserve concept supports the observatory’s mission.