The Southern Utah Museum of Art, in collaboration with Cedar Breaks National Monument, presented Beautiful Night Skies as part of the Southwest Astronomy Festival on Friday, Sept. 12.
Those who attended the event were able to look at the sun’s surface through a solar telescope, and they created constellation art using paper, pushpins and flashlights.
Various educational events on astronomy and the night sky are happening across southwestern Utah now through Sunday, Sept. 14.
Cedar Breaks is a National Dark Sky Park, meaning it receives little to no light pollution. However, dark sky areas are being threatened by the widespread use of LED lights and low-Earth orbit satellites.
This threat can harm wildlife and human life.
Park ranger, Emily Childs, explained how studies show that people who don’t get to experience a night sky face disruption of their circadian rhythms, which can lead to physical and mental health problems.
“It is a really important part of our culture as well. Humans have been looking up at the night sky as long as we’ve been here on Earth, and it’s been the cause of a lot of awe and inspiration,” said Childs.
Nocturnal animals rely on dark skies to hunt and hide, and without them, they could face endangerment.
The national monuments in Utah, including Cedar Breaks, have inspired artists around the world to create what they’ve seen and felt at the sights.
“I think science and art go hand in hand,” said SUMA participant, Darius Linder.“There are stars all over, different comets and planets and art gives people the ability to express how they see these things.”
Attendees learned more about space and how to appreciate the beauty of the night sky through SUMA’s constellation activity.
For more information on this weekend’s events, visit the Southwest Astronomy Festival’s webpage.
