Dreaming of a DARK SKY
There’s a Black Moon rising. You won’t be able to see it – and that’ll be lovely.
When a New Moon occurs for the second time in a month, as it will over Wimberley Valley on April 30, it’s called a Black Moon. A New Moon – the opposite of a Full Moon – is when the moon is between the sun and earth, so only its “dark side” is facing where we stand on earth. It’s there, but we can’t see it.
The absence of glare from a New Moon makes it much easier for us to see the stars and planets. That night the moon adds beauty by not being seen.
April also brings International Dark Sky Week, April 22-30, a night sky awareness event endorsed by the American Astronomical Society (professionals), the Astronomical League (amateurs) and by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) which awarded the Wimberley Valley IDA Dark Sky Community status to the Wimberley Valley in 2019.
All that makes April an ideal time to let some local folks relate how they enjoy our dark skies. We asked several Wimberley Valley sky admirers to tell us why living in a place where they can really see the night sky is important, and to share a personal night sky memory. Some told us why they think our designation as an International Dark Sky Community is important. Here’s what they all had to say.
“I grew up under the bright lights of Houston. One of my favorite destinations was traveling to Wimberley with my mother and brother. I have vivid memories of the clear skies, pure water, and thousands of bright stars and moonlight reflecting on the Wimberley hills.
We climbed the steps of Old Baldy and stood in awe of the stars, planets and the moon standing watch over the Wimberley Valley. We thought this was heaven.
The Dark Sky designation is a demonstration of our commitment to join with other communities to appreciate and contemplate the stillness and beauty of the universe.”
Patrick Cox, Author, historian and Executive Director of Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association (TESPA)
“To me, a dark sky is a quintessential part of being a Texan. Who wants to live in a place where the stars at night aren’t NOT big and bright? I grew up in a small town. The first constellation I ever learned was Orion. Now every time I look up and find it, I feel just like a kid again. How great is that?”
Pauline Pace, Co-owner of Rodney Bursiel’s Basecamp Gallery
“There are few places in Texas where you can see the glistening red planet of Mars, where the Milky Way looks like you can reach up and touch it...with the billions of stars shining in the night like it was daytime. People come from all over the world to experience the magic of Wimberley, in the daytime views of the Hill Country and the night time views of our beautiful night skies.”
Michaelanne Hurst, Executive Dir., Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce
“(Seeing the stars) means everything to me! I remember looking up into the sky at night as a little boy and thinking of all the wonderful things that could be going on in outer space. I would look up at the stars and planets and give them each their own civilizations, towns, countries, you name it. The clear night sky allowed my imagination to run wild. I still think about it. Space fascinates me.
Seeing its beauty is incredibly important to me.”
Sam Downing, Singer, songwriter and Wimberley High School student
“Seeing the Milky Way from my backyard is a privilege I’ll be happy to defend any time. It inspires, calms and opens my mind to the boundless possibilities for conscious thought over unimaginable distances.”
Roy Cunningham, Entertainer, radio personality
“I was raised in Woodcreek. My backyard was the ninth hole of Quicksand Golf Course. For astrological events, I would meet my childhood friends, along with our parents and grandparents, to lay on the perfectly manicured green. You might find yourself looking through the telescope of a (neighbor) you never saw in the light of day. Under the grandness of a clear sky, we were all equally in awe and, for an evening, united in our curiosity and contentment, just to gaze and wonder together in the dark.
Our clear night sky is a mirror to the clean air and water we are all so blessed to have in this valley. A visible night sky reflects the health of the winged world and the seasons on which they come and go.”
Candace Rothelle, Co-owner of Ceremony Botanical Studio
“I feel God puts those stars out every night just for us. It means everything that Marvin and I have this beautiful masterpiece, a private front row seat for us and all of Wimberley.
I have many great memories of sitting outside with Marvin as it is getting dark, watching the beautiful night sky. Last year, Dec. 21, you could see the Christmas star – we have a telescope – and the very rare alignment of Jupiter and Saturn. Beautiful. We live in such a special and beautiful place.”
Laura Baldwin Bottera, Entertainer, singer, with Marvin Bottera
“For me (being here) means that my children can see a sky more filled with stars than I grew up with. In our family we have Moon Walks; We walk together at night down our limestone driveway which seems to glow, reflecting the light cast from the stars and the moon. It’s something my kids have been doing since they were just born. I hope they instill that in their kids.”
Lynnsey Jones Hastie, General Manager at Cypress Falls Event Center
“After a long week of busy-busy at the café, and juggling family time, it’s nice to look up at night and see meteor showers. The kids and I will lay a blanket on the roof and watch the night sky... So peaceful and relaxing. We love to hear of a comet or meteor shower over Wimberley.”
Jen Bachman, Co-owner, with Jay Bachman, of Wimberley Café
“One of my favorite field trips in elementary school was our yearly nighttime trip to Old Baldy. I will always remember how much fun we had enjoying that amazing view of the stars. We are blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the world. The ability to have dark skies allows us to recognize the beauty of our universe. It improves our quality of life and our ability to enjoy the outdoors.
(The Dark Sky) designation helps us preserve the feel and uniqueness of our community. Maintaining our dark skies is important to preserving the qualities that make the Wimberley Valley such a special place.”
Lon Shell, Precinct 3 Hays County Commissioner
“When life gets me down, I head straight outdoors to regain my footing, day or night. Enveloped in the black velvet sky, with those glowing, twinkling, timeless orbs piercing the darkness, I feel my place in the endless flow of life in this vast universe. The perspective of being a tiny speck in the scheme of things is usually just what I need.
I was a Daddy’s girl, so learning about the stars from him is one of my most vivid memories. In our Dallas backyard in the ‘60s, you could still see a blanket of stars and he pointed out all the constellations. We had a little telescope to examine the moon and find the planets. Sadly, when I briefly returned to the Dallas area with my young family 30 years ago, the night sky bore little resemblance to my childhood memories. Instead of velvet and diamonds, my children saw the dull glow of a fuzzy sky.
Keeping skies dark is so much easier out here than in the city. We can still have security lights and illuminated activities — we just cover the lights so they point downward, where the light is needed. We can help other communities discover how easy it is to keep our skies dark. Imagine a state filled with International Dark Sky Communities!”
Louie Bond, Editor of Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine
“I spent most of my weekends as a child with my grandparents on our ranch in Driftwood. I loved being outside in the country. The dark skies and bright stars have been the norm for me my whole life; I couldn’t live in a place where you couldn’t enjoy that every night.
A few years ago, my boys got a little telescope for Christmas. We’d spend night after night in the bed of my truck, looking into the sky. Having such great memories with them, getting to look at the stars and being able to do it in our own yard, is priceless!“
Byron Eckols, Insurance agent and Wimberley’s first Night Sky Friendly Business designee
“On our first night in Wimberley, a full moon rose over Climbing Way ridge, behind our home. It hit the Blanco, creating powerful, silvery reflections. We took a blanket down to the swale and laid there, talking and watching as the wind whipped the water. It was a special welcoming gift. Each gust repeated to us ‘You’re in the right place’.
The nighttime sky has always been a source of peace, perspective and wonder for me. That beautiful black canvas clears away all my thoughts of the day and makes me think about how small we are, just one planet in a galaxy of two billion stars, which is just one galaxy in two billion more. I wonder who else is out there, when we’ll see them and what they will be like.
Gina Fulkerson
Mayor of Wimberley
“The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of EmilyAnn. The (EmilyAnn) hilltop is truly a sacred space alight with a starry sky. I love the (Wimberley Valley) Dark Sky designation. As a child, my dad and three brothers slept in old iron beds under the stars, and dad pointed out the constellations.”
Ann Rolling, Co-founder and Executive Director, EmilyAnn Theatre and Gardens
“Before we started working on The Leaning Pear, we would sit on the back porch at our family’s ranch and gaze at the large pear tree simmering in the moonlight a hundred yards away in the middle of the pasture. The rustling of leaves from the summer breeze, the squeaks and howls of nocturnal wildlife, were the only sounds underneath the blanket of stars.
Spending time outdoors after the sun has gone down reminds you of your small place in this universe and helps keep the daily trials and tribulations in context. Taking time to observe the nighttime sky, with the phases of the moon and the movements of planets and stars, connects you with both the small creatures around us and with the greater unseen forces that keep our universe in motion.
The fact that our community has (a Dark Sky designation) as a shared, common value makes it even more gratifying. It is wonderful to have something that we can all work together on preserving. “
Matt and Rachel Buchanan, Owners of the Leaning Pear restaurant
“As a young boy in Kansas City, I could only see a few stars in a hazy night sky full of light pollution. I remember driving with my parents on the weekends to the Ozarks and laying on the dock at the lake looking up in wonderment into the star filled canopy of the milky way, feeling so happy and connected as part of the infinite universe. Moving to Wimberley 35 years ago was a return to that childhood dream.
When I see the stars in the dark night sky, I feel a sense of peace and awe. The problems and challenges of my life are put into the proper perspective. I feel a connection to my soul and the vastness of time and space.
Wimberley is in the fastest growing county and region in the United States. Our community has been proactive in managing growth to protect the water, wildlife and open spaces that give us such a high quality of life. Taking the initiative to become a Dark Sky Community was wise and a wonderful part of managing the impacts of growth, to maintain the rural character and our connection to nature that makes the Wimberley Valley such a magical place.”
David Baker, Executive Director, Wimberley Valley Watershed Association