News

In recognition of International Dark Sky Week, the City is inviting residents to participate in Earth Hour on Saturday, March 30 from 8:30-9:30 p.m. by turning off all non-essential lighting and enjoying the beauty of the night sky.

Earth Hour is an international, grassroots event designed to inspire individuals to take small actions to benefit their local ecosystems. Millions of people world-wide will turn off lights for one hour to celebrate the beauty of the night sky and recognize the importance of protecting the natural environment from light pollution.

During this time, non-essential lighting at City Hall and 222 Laporte Ave. will be turned off to celebrate Earth Hour.

This event will be followed by International Dark Sky Week (March 31 to April 7). This is also a world-wide event aimed at raising awareness of the effects of light pollution while celebrating the wonder of astronomy and the night sky. On March 19, Mayor Wade Troxell issued a proclamation supporting the 2019 International Dark Sky Week.

The City of Fort Collins is committed to encouraging and implementing best practices in outdoor lighting. These best practices can conserve energy, support community climate and energy goals, save money, protect wildlife and natural habitat, and increase security and nighttime visibility by reducing glare and shadows.

For seven years, the City has partnered with the National Park Service to collect data on the quality of the night sky in Northern Colorado. The sky above Fort Collins has been found to be 20 times brighter than natural conditions.

The City encourages residents, businesses, neighborhoods and organizations to join in celebrating Earth Hour and International Dark Sky Week.

For more information on the City’s night sky efforts, go to fcgov.com/nightsky