Night Sky Tourist

Dr. Craig Howe chats with me about Lakota Star Knowledge and the relationship between the Lakota and the night sky. He is the founder and director of the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies and has served as the Deputiy Assistant for Cultural Resources at the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian Institute. Dr. Howe has authored articles and book chapters on...

Chris Salisbury is the author of the book “Wild Nights Out: The Magic of Exploring the Outdoors after Dark”. He is the founder of WildWise, an outdoor education and training company. He uses every creative means at his disposal to encourage people to enjoy and value the natural world on courses he facilitates in the UK and abroad. He’s also a professional storyteller and is just as comfortable on...

Paul Curnow chats with me about Aboriginal Skies in Australia. He has been an astronomy lecturer at the Adelaide Planetarium for the past 30 years. After 3 decades of research, he is regarded as on of the world’s leading authorities on Australian Aboriginal night sky knowledge. In 2004, Paul worked with the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center Planetarium in Ohio to create a show featuring Indige...

Kevin Schindler is the historian and Public Information Officer at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona where Pluto was discovered 92 years ago. He is the author of seven books, including one titled “Pluto and Lowell Observatory”. He is the organizer for a really fun event coming up this month called the I Heart Pluto Festival, which we talk about in this episode. And here’s a really fun fact...

Ginny Yurich is a Michigan mother of 5 and the founder of 1000 Hours Outside. She has inspired thousands upon thousands of parents around the world to raise their kids with nature-based play. She has a degree in Mathematics and a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Michigan. She’s also an author and an illustrator. LINKS: 1000 Hours Outside: https://www.1000hoursoutside.com “Moon M...

Justina Parsons-Bernstein takes us into the world of dark skies across Utah’s State Parks. In fact, she created the Utah State Parks Dark Sky Initiative in 2015. Find out some of the very best places in Utah to see a pristine dark sky and also where to go to find an ancient cultural astronomy site. LINKS: UTAH STATE PARKS STARRY NIGHTS INITIATIVE https://stateparks.utah.gov/activities/dark-sky/ UT...

In this Winter Solstice special, we take trips to Alaska and Costa Rica to find out what it’s like to experience the shortest day of the year in these extreme locations. Ted Blank, a NASA Solar System Ambassador, answers my burning question about the weather and the Winter Solstice. Peter Atkinson lends his amazing storytelling voice to share with us the story of “La Befana and the Royal Child of...

Amy Bushatz is the host of the wonderful podcast Humans Outside. She is also a journalist and an editor specializing in coverage of the Alaska outdoors and the U.S. military. When here husband left the active-duty Army in 2016, their family moved sight-unseen to Alaska. They have built a lifestyle around spending time outside every day. In fact, Amy’s personal challenge has been to spend 20 minute...

John Barentine is the founder of Dark Sky Consulting. He joins me in this episode to talk about returning the darkness to the night sky. John holds a Ph. D. in astronomy and has worked for the National Solar Observatory, Apache Point Observatory, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. He formerly worked as the Director of Public Policy for the International Dark Sky Association. He even has an asteroid...

Night Sky Tourist podcast is celebrating its first anniversary this week. But we’re also celebrating another milestone. The Night Sky Tourist website is celebrating its second anniversary. I’ve just launched a beautifully redesigned website with new features. You can also download my free guide called “Things to See in the Night Sky in 2021”. Don’t worry, you’ll get the 2022 edition at the end of...

Toni Kouts joins us from Sydney, Australia to talk about her experience under the extended pandemic lockdown and how she found solace in the night sky. Toni is a night sky photographer and has a degree in welfare studies, including mental health, psychology, and sociology. We talk about the role the night sky has in helping us find emotional health. If you want to send a “Happy Anniversary” audio...

Ted Blank is a NASA Solar System Ambassador. He’s also my #1 go-to when I have questions about telescopes. In this episode, Ted and I chat about things you should think about before buying a telescope. He also shares some brands that are great for first-time buyers. Visit NightSkyTourist.com/25 for more information about this episode. LINKS IN THIS EPISODE Telescope Brands: Orion: https://www.tele...

Michael Marlin is a dark sky ambassador for the International Astronomical Union and the International Dark Sky Association. His passion for dark sky preservation goes back to the 1980s when he produced the LUMA light show theatrical performances. He also gave a truly inspiring TEDx talk called “Embracing Darkness”. In addition to his stories of running away with the circus, traveling the world wi...

Our Fall Equinox Special features some of my friends who help tell the stories of different traditions from around the world. Thank you to Peter Atkinson, Jaime Britt, Joe Bill, Polly Knelsen, Clayton Corey, and Mark Derksen. Visit NightSkyTourist.com/23 for more information about this episode. LINKS IN THIS EPISODE The 4 Season Solution by Dallas Hartwig: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Th...

John (Jack) Muir Laws is a leader and innovator in the worldwide nature journaling movement. He is a scientist, educator, and author who helps people forge a deeper and more personal connection with nature through keeping illustrated nature journals. Trained as a wildlife biologist, he observes the world with rigorous attention. He looks for mysteries, plays with ideas, and seeks connections in al...

Filmmaker Daniel J. Clark chats with me about the making of the Behind the Curve documentary. It takes a look into the world of those who believe the Earth is flat. Daniel has worked in film as a director, editor, cinematographer, sound designer, and more. His independent television pilot for the show “Cowards” earned him the Best Comedy Pilot award at the New York Television Festival in 2014. Vis...

Meteorite hunter extraordinaire, Geoff Notkin, joins us in Part 2 of this two-part episode to share about his adventures in chasing meteorites. We talk about things you need to know before hunting for your own meteorites and visit the topic of the Chelyabinsk Meteorite that struck Russia in 2013. Check out the Night Sky Tourist Facebook page for a special giveaway of Geoff’s award-winning book, Ho...

Meteorite hunter extraordinaire, Geoff Notkin, joins us in part one of this two-part episode to share about his adventures in chasing meteorites. He also shares tips for hunting meteorites on your own.  Check out the Night Sky Tourist Facebook page for a special giveaway of Geoff’s award-winning book, “How to Find Treasure from Space: The Expert Guide to Meteorite Hunting and Identification”....

We chat with Mark Derksen, my husband, about creating a stargazing oasis in your own backyard. Mark is a Dark Sky Lighting expert and he gives some great tips on how to choose the right kind of lighting for your stargazing space to provide safety while also protecting your ability to see the stars. I also share some other suggestions for adding fun elements to enhance your entire stargazing experi...

We visit Tonto National Monument where the cliff-dwelling Salado people thrived in the desert and enjoyed an exceptional connection with the night sky. Learn how they used the Milky Way to navigate at night. Today the monument is a certified International Dark Sky Park. Find out what they mean by “half the park is after dark”. Visit NightSkyTourist.com/17 for more information about this episode. L...

Our Summer Solstice Special will take you to Stonehenge where our guest Josh Dury tells about the special connection between Stonehenge and the first day of summer. Visit NightSkyTourist.com/16 for more information about this episode. LINKS IN THIS EPISODE Take a virtual visit to Stonehenge on the Summer Solstice at: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/things-to-do/solstice...

Hear the behind-the-scenes story of what led to the creation of Night Sky Tourist. I share about experiences under the night sky from my own childhood, my experience in teaching naked eye astronomy to high school students...and their parents...and how I got involved in dark sky preservation efforts. I also give a sneak peek into the future of Night Sky Tourist. Visit NightSkyTourist.com/15 for mor...

We travel to Malaysia to chat with Syahirah Nazarudin, a school teacher, dark sky advocate, and space artist. We discuss the emotional aspect of stargazing and how the arts can connect us the the night sky in a unique way. Visit NightSkyTourist.com/14 for more information about this episode. LINKS IN THIS EPISODE Check out Syahirah’s work and follow her on the following sites: BLOG: https://syahir...

Josh Dury chats with us from Bristol, England about how the night sky is changing and shares some great astrotourism tips for anyone who is interested in planning a trip to the UK. He uses his skills as a photographer, filmmaker, conservationist, and speaker to help people understand the impact of light pollution while giving them a glimpse at the wonder and majesty of the night sky. Visit NightSk...

Lukas Schuler is the President of Dark Sky Switzerland and an Advocate with the International Dark Sky Association. Lukas joins me to talk about dark sky preservation efforts in his home country and we talk about great places you can visit if you want to experience a starry night in this beautiful area of Europe. Visit NightSkyTourist.com/12 for more information about this episode. LINKS IN THIS E...