About Saving Our Stars
"Let's join together, fight light pollution, advocate for amber dark-sky lighting, and save our stars!"
The mission of Saving Our Stars (and on Twitter) is to help reduce light pollution and preserve our disappearing dark skies by spreading the word about amber dark-sky lighting and resources, advocating for using mostly amber colored light instead of warm white or low CCT, and encouraging and helping others to do the same, especially with their city/county councils. I would like to invite you to join this movement!
I stand on my own and do not receive compensation or sponsorship funds. I present what I truly believe will best help reduce light pollution based off studies done by light pollution scientists around the world, and I provide those links so you can evaluate them as well.
Here you will find sample letters, petitions, outreach photos, dark-sky resources and more. Please be sure to visit How to Help so you too can get involved. As of 2016, when I created this website, it was said 80% of the population was affected by light pollution, but only 1% knew what it was. I knew we were losing our sacred dark skies, and I felt strongly called to help spread the word.
The night sky is something all people, everywhere on earth, should be able to enjoy. It is my hope that one day, our generation, and especially future generations, will once again be able to gaze upon the Milky Way from our great cities and towns around the world and marvel at the view above. Not only will amber dark-sky lighting save our stars, but it will also help protect us, our precious wildlife and our irreplaceable planet.
I do not have experience in marketing, so if you have ideas for making this site more effective, please contact me! I would welcome your feedback or suggestions! Don't be shy! :)
May the awe and beauty of our universe surround and bless you always!
Thank You
This website wouldn't be possible without information learned and gathered from organizations such as Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition, The International Dark-Sky Association and lighting manufacturers, workers, scientists and engineers around the world who are fighting and researching light pollution. If you are one of those people and are reading this, thank you tremendously for the heroic, hard work you do for dark skies and the information you share. This website exists to help spread your work.
Thank you to my family and friends for your help and support as I launched Saving Our Stars (especially to those of you who patiently looked at countless logo designs! Ha!).
Thank you to my visitors for being here, to those of you who show support through social media, and for taking an interest in preserving our night sky!
About Me
Vincent van Gogh (Dutch). 1889. Oil on canvas. 29 x 36 1/4" (73.7 x 92.1 cm). Museum of Modern Art, New York City.
I loved art history in college (it felt like an Indiana Jones class to me--except about art!) and almost majored in it. In this beautiful painting, Vincent was able to paint the night sky, as seen in all its glory, before light pollution erased it.
My name is Sarah, and I'm the founder of Saving Our Stars. As a health nut, a wildlife volunteer, amateur astronomer, and someone who loves the beauty of our planet, I care about all the issues light pollution affects, especially our stars. There are so many important causes to fight for in the world, and luckily, most of those have a large voice, but light pollution does not, and this is why I feel it's so important to spread the word until everyone has heard.
I can't talk about myself without talking about my wonderful parents! My love of the night sky was first instilled by my precious dad. Growing up, we were in Indian Princess together, a YMCA father and daughter activity program. I was Little Star, and he, Big Star. I always loved discussing the sky with him on our camp outs, and he always made sure I could point out the Big Dipper and use it to find the North Star. Because of this, the Big Dipper is very special to me, and you'll notice it in my logo. I was filled with a deep feeling of awe, fascination and excitement from our sky adventures that thankfully never left. My dad taught me to be adventurous and not let fear get in the way--it's that spirit that has allowed me to travel and be alone countless times under dark skies. Today, I love getting away from city lights to star hop for deep-sky objects with my telescope, or just to stargaze and enjoy the incredible view. I'm more interested in the beauty and wonder of astronomy than the "how" of astronomy.
My mom is an artist, and because my school district didn't have art classes at the time, she volunteered to teach art so my classmates would be exposed to the wonderful benefits, and they loved it. One particular class she taught, I remember learning about Vincent van Gogh and his The Starry Night painting while also hearing the beautiful song about him, Starry, Starry Night, by Don McLean. Both the painting and the song will always be special to me. My mom never ceases to find the beauty around her, God's fingerprint in everything, and she remains ever curious about life. With my dad showing me the wonders of the night sky and an appreciation for adventure, and my mom teaching me to always look for, appreciate and be thankful for the beauty and good all around us, I can't help but fight for this beautiful, natural wonder above us sadly covered up by our society, and for the most part, tragically forgotten. Thank you, Mom & Dad, for all the many ways you have enriched my life, the values you taught me, and for always being so supportive. I am truly blessed, and I love you both so very much.
Traveling to dark skies with my telescope, which always gives me a feeling of utter amazement, is what led to my getting serious about the dark-sky movement, which then led to spreading the word on my travels to others and deciding to create a website with helpful information. Putting this together has been an incredibly fun and meaningful journey, and it's my personal belief that God gets all the credit for it. I knew nothing about creating a website, or the legalities of having a giveaway or newsletter, both of which this website launched with, but God opened the right doors to make it all happen, and the majority of what you see on this website was created and launched in only two weeks--that's God! He is what fills me with the most incredible feeling of awe and deep joy as I feel His presence and see His glory in this journey of life, and as I marvel at His incredible creation declared by the night sky. Time flies when I am sitting under the heavens!
Scroll down to watch a trailer for a book very special to me, The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God, and one of my favorite documentaries, The Star of Bethlehem!
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Psalm 19:1 KJV
“We were intended to contemplate and enjoy the heavens, to understand they have meaning and purpose in leading us to our maker.” — Daniel Ray, The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God.
If you are open to the idea of a God, are a believer yourself, or even a skeptic who likes to contemplate, I highly recommend this documentary. It leaves me with a deep feeling of awe and wonder for the night sky--the night sky that shows God's majesty so powerfully. One of the reasons I love stargazing so much is for the deep and amazing connection I feel to God and the intense feeling of awe for His amazing universe. There is no feeling quite like it. I wish everyone could experience it. The Star of Bethlehem, by Rick Larson, displays God’s glory in a beautiful, powerful way. I also highly recommend the beautiful soundtrack by Rick’s wife, Julie Larson. Thank you always to my friend, Jonathan, for bringing this documentary to my attention.
Legal Info/Terms of Use: Saving Our Stars is for informational purposes. I am not a scientist, but I provide links to back up my information. Visitors are encouraged to do their own research as well. I do not profit from any of the links given and do not personally endorse any products linked to unless stated. There is no guarantee for how a product will work for you, and Saving Our Stars is not liable for any decisions you make based on this website. All images, unless noted, are copyright free from websites such as unsplash.com or pixabay.com. You are welcome to share information from this website so long as you include a link. Any controversy, dispute, or claim arising from or related to this website will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, with a venue in Collin County, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law. Please click here to read my Privacy Policy.