Our Blog
FH Dark Sky Association Merchandise Now Available
Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association swag is now available to purchase at Cards of Fountain Hills in the plaza by the fountain! Many have asked how they can get our products outside of our festivals, and now we've made it easy for everyone while partnering with a local...
Crime & Safety in a Dark Sky Community
There is a myth that a brightly lit nighttime environment improves safety and security. However, studies have not found evidence that increased outdoor lighting deters crime or increases safety. A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY We all desire to keep ourselves and our...
New Board Officers
The Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association has elected new board officers to replace the chair/co-chair structure. Please welcome them to their new roles: Scott Adams, President; Vicky Derksen, Vice President; Kim Robertson, Secretary; and Jeff Esposito, Treasurer. Other...
5 Ridiculously Easy Ways to Fix Light Pollution: Kelsey Johnson
Ever gaze up at the starry night sky? This stunning view is at risk of disappearing -- unless we act now, says astrophysicist Kelsey Johnson. In this fascinating, unexpectedly funny TED talk, she explains how light pollution affects almost every species on earth...
How Light Pollution Prevents Eyes from Adapting to the Dark
Guest post from Tony Pistilli, board member of Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association Why are Dark Skies Important? On the surface of this subject, it appears non-Dark Sky compliant lights scatter light into the sky and prevent us from “seeing” stars. This is partially...
The Dog Days of Summer
As the summer heat sizzles toward the end of July, you might hear someone refer to it as the “dog days of summer”. Most people think this phrase means that it is getting so hot outside that even the dogs feel miserable. In reality, this ancient term refers to an...
Student Art Contest Winners
The Dark Sky art and photo contest caught the attention of students in all age ranges, to use their artistic skills to at a chance of winning stellar prizes!
Dark Sky: Busting some common myths
There are seven myths that regularly paint the wrong picture about our prestigious designation:
Dark Sky Festival Presentation Lineup
Presentations at this Saturdays Dark Sky Festival will include: Geoff Notkin speaking about his "Adventures Of A "Meteorite Man", Dr. John Barentine, in "The Role Of Cities In Confronting The Loss Of Nighttime Darkness", and Dr. Jeffrey Hall, on "The Discovery Channel...
Official Fountain Hills Dark Sky Hashtag
Share the love and use our hashtag #FHDarkSky on social media!
Star Party and Laser Tour
The Fountain Hills Astronomy Club will be hosting the largest Star Party of the year during the Dark Sky Festival. Dozens of local astronomers will bring their telescopes to allow guests to peer into the cosmos to see planets, stars, and the beautiful craters of the...
The Discovery Channel Telescope: Lowell Observatory’s Newest Eye on the Sky
In this talk, we’ll look at the extraordinary engineering and technology that goes into a modern research telescope and the kinds of science we’re doing with it.
The Role Of Cities In Confronting The Loss Of Nighttime Darkness
While the use of artificial light at night (ALAN) grows at a rate double that of the rate of world population change, each year we learn more about its ecological, astronomical, public safety and energy security implications.
Virtual Reality Activities at the Festival
The Fountain Hills High School is hosting a virtual reality station at the 2nd Annual Fountain Hills Dark Sky Festival to provide a thrilling experience of outer space.
Astroscience Discovery Center
The local Dark Sky Association has decided to put its weight behind a potential Astroscience Discovery Center
Ted Blank earns Dark Sky honor
The International Dark Sky Association presented its annual awards recently at the IDA meeting held in Utah. Among this year’s recipients is Ted Blank of the Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association. “I was extremely proud that I was able to represent Fountain Hills and...
Public Star Parties
Hi fellow stargazers! The Fountain Hills Astronomy Club is back from a long summer break with some fun public star parties coming up. Our star parties are held in Centennial Circle next to the Fountain Hills Community Center and behind the Library. The "Friends of...
Lights Out For Super Sleep
Learn about a few things you can do to limit your exposure to artificial light at night.
Wayfinding with the Night Sky
There are many reasons why we should do what we can to protect our view of the stars. Read more:
Exterior Lighting for a Dark Sky
As our cities grow larger and our lights get brighter, many urban and suburban areas are losing their view of the night sky.
Fireworks Display at Fountain Park
Thanks to our dark skies, the fireworks display at Fountain Park this 4th of July was once again a spectacular event!
Fountain Hills Mentioned in Sunset Magazine June Edition
Fountain Hills was recently mentioned in Sunset Magazine’s June 2018 edition. Read the snippet below on how Sunset Magazine mentioned our small town in this big news!
Fountain Hills Mentioned in Arizona Highways Magazine June Edition
Fountain Hills was recently mentioned in the June edition of Arizona Highways magazine. "In recent response to the harmful glare, the International Dark Sky Association was formed in Tucson in 1988. It's goal is to change the nature of human relationship with...
Cronkite News Interview
Cronkite News interviewed committee members to learn more about how Fountain Hills became and International Dark Sky community.
River of Time Museum’s Dr. Charles Juels Telescope Exhibit
During the River of Time Museum’s grand opening of the Dr. Charles Juels telescope exhibit, Ted Blank gave presentations about how Dr. Juels discovered over 300 asteroids in his backyard in Fountain Hills using the telescope on display. Mr. Blank noted that Dr. Juels...
Presenting Commemorative Plaque to Town of Fountain Hills
Our Board Members presented a commemorative plaque to the Town of Fountain Hills, alongside Mayor Kavanagh and Town Councilmembers on Tuesday, Feb 20, in recognition of the Town of Fountain Hills designation as a Dark Sky Community by the International Dark Sky...
Fountain Hills Men’s Discussion Group Presentation
On November 13, Ted Blank and Joe Bill gave a presentation to about 50 members of the Fountain Hills Men’s Discussion Group. They discussed light pollution, history of the Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association, plans for the FH Dark Sky Festival in April, and the work...
Gilbert Rotary Centennial Observatory
Clear and vivid views of Jupiter (and 4 of its moons) and an incredible site of Saturn with its rings were seen from the Gilbert Rotary Centennial Observatory