Connecting with New Mexico’s Dark Skies

This segment re-aired Friday, April 21, 2023.

September 10, 2021 – Although humans have added satellites, space shuttles, and airplanes to the dark vista of the sky, our species has looked up at the same night skies for millions of years. We’ve navigated by the stars, told stories about the shapes we see, and sought to learn more about what lies beyond our own planet. This episode of Our Land is inspired by Carl Sagan, who wrote in his 1985 novel, Contact, about “cosmic isolationism.” That is, just as we began learning more about the universe, we also began to cut ourselves off from it. This month, we explore what it means to connect with the night sky – and protect it for future generations.    

Correspondent:  
Laura Paskus 

Guest: 
Kelly Ricks, astronomy volunteer, Capulin Volcano National Monument     
Bernard Poskus, park guide, Capulin Volcano National Monument    
Sam Finn, retired professor, physics and astronomy 

For More Information: 
Capulin Volcano National Monument 
National Park Service Night Sky Events  
International Dark Sky Parks