Blue Hole hosting a party for the stars

They say the stars are big and bright in the heart of Texas.

In Wimberley, you can thank the Dark Sky Committee for that. The group is committed to keeping our skies big and bright by minimizing light pollution. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, 80 percent of the world’s population live with light pollution — the brightening of the sky from artificial light. Artificial light makes it hard to see the stars and also disrupts nocturnal animals and migratory birds, according the association.

Most of the world’s population can’t just look up and see the Milky Way. In Wimberley — clouds permitting — you can.

“We’re advocates for keeping the skies dark and full of stars in the Wimberley Valley,” explains Greg Webb, the chairman of the local Dark Sky Committee.

To celebrate our relationship with the stars, the Dark Sky Committee and Wimberley Valley Parks and Recreation Department have a few events planned:

— On Thursday, Oct. 1, everyone in Wimberley is being asked to step outside at 8:30 p.m. and howl at the Harvest Moon.

— From October 1 through October 15, there will be a contest to see who can snap the best celestial photo. The winner will be announced at the Star Party.

— On Saturday, Oct. 17, there will be a Star Party at the Blue Hole Regional Park.

Last year’s Star Party featured numerous telescopes where folks could wander around and get close up with various star formations and planets. More than 200 people attended.

Things are different

Like almost everything else, the 2020 version of the Star Party will be a little different. It will be held in the soccer field area of Blue Hole park —so there will be plenty of room for social distancing — and there will be designated circles 10 feet apart. Each circle can hold up to eight people. Instead of going from station to station, there will only be one telescope which will project images on Blue Hole’s new, state-of-the-art screen. Masks are required when you are not in your circle. Attendees are asked to bring a flashlight and a blanket to sit on.

Experts from the Dark Sky Committee and professors from Texas State University will be on hand to offer commentary. They’ll have lasers handy to point out the stars of the show and tell you how to spot the Big Dipper or the North Star. Dark Sky Committee members Matthew Hartman and Jaime Kinscherff will host the party.

The party starts at 7:30 p.m. on October 17 and reservations are required. If it’s raining or overcast, the event will be rescheduled.

“It’s a chance to see images from the telescopes on the big screen,” says Greg. “We’re just trying to get people to look up and enjoy the night sky.”

There is no admission charge and reservations can be made at www.cityofwimberley.com, then click on the Parks and Recreation special events button. For information call: 512-660- 9991.

Hill Country Howl

Postcards with coyotes baying at the moon are being passed out around town to promote the Hill Country Howl. If you are home they ask you to step out on the front porch at 8:30 on Thursday, October 1 and howl at the Harvest Moon. If you are in a tavern, they are asking you set your drink down, go outside and howl like crazy.

“It’s a fun thing,” says Greg. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to hear it all around the valley. A thousand postcards will be distributed around town to get people to participate.”

The Harvest Moon is a full moon that occurs closest to the start of fall. In the old days, farmers would harvest their crops by the light of the full moon and it got the name Harvest Moon. (The second full moon of the season is called the Hunter’s Moon. That’s when Native Americans would start gathering food for the upcoming winter.)

Heavenly pictures

Finally, the photo contest will run October 1-15. Photographers are asked to submit a picture of the heavens. The photos will be judged by experts and the winner will be announced at the Star Party and will get a couple season passes to Blue Hole.

The Wimberley Dark Sky Committee started in 2015 and was officially chartered in 2018. You have probably seen their signs posted alongside the Wimberley city-limit signs coming into town. The group had to get the city council to pass an ordinance that encourages people to install nightsky friendly lighting. Each year the committee has to submit a report to the international body detailing the progress it has made. There are 28 Dark Sky communities across the globe, including Dripping Springs and Fredericksburg.

And there has been some success.

State Farm Insurance agent Byron Eckols was one of the first local businesses to become night-sky compliant. The lights on the flag poles at the EmilyAnn Theater and Gardens’ Veterans’ Memorial now shine down, instead of up. The New EMT station will be fully night-sky compliant when it’s completed.

Here are a few things you can do to preserve Wimberley’s dark skies:

— Turn off lights when not in use.

— Use low glare or shielded fixtures.

— Use motion sensors.

— Replace high-energy lights with LED bulbs.

For more information visit www.DarkSky.org