安扎-博雷戈沙漠州立公园上空的银河, 加利福尼亚州, 美国 Milky Way over Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA (© Kevin Key/Slworking)/Getty Images)

安扎-博雷戈沙漠州立公园上空的银河, 加利福尼亚州, 美国 Milky Way over Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA (© Kevin Key/Slworking)/Getty Images)

当灯光熄灭之后 After the lights go down

银河

当夜幕降临，宇宙便开始上演一场壮丽的“光影秀”。每年四月举行的国际暗夜周，邀请人们重新发现夜晚的魅力，并了解为什么黑暗同样值得被保护。这项活动始于2003年，旨在提醒公众关注过度的人造光照对野生动物、人类健康、能源消耗以及我们观测星空能力所带来的影响。减少不必要的灯光并不意味着降低安全性——通过科学、合理的照明设计，完全可以在保证安全的同时减少光污染。

这张银河高悬在安扎-博雷戈沙漠州立公园上空的照片，正好诠释了这一理念。作为加利福尼亚州最大的州立公园**，这里同时也是被正式认定的国际暗夜公园，因此拥有全美一流的观星条件。在晴朗的夜晚，天空中会出现行星、星团以及我们所在星系——银河系那条明亮的星带。这样的壮丽景象，在许多城市地区由于光污染已经很难看到了。

国际暗夜周鼓励人们从一些简单的行动做起，例如为门廊灯加装遮光罩，或参加当地的观星活动。抬头仰望夜空，保持好奇心，也一起努力，让夜晚继续保有自然的璀璨星光。

International Dark Sky Week

When the lights go down, the universe puts on a show. International Dark Sky Week, celebrated each April, invites everyone to rediscover the night and learn why darkness is worth protecting. Launched in 2003, the week highlights how excessive artificial light affects wildlife, human health, energy use, and our ability to see the stars. Fewer lights don't mean less safety—smart, well-designed lighting can do both.

The image of the Milky Way glowing above Anza-Borrego Desert State Park captures this idea perfectly. As California's largest state park and an officially designated International Dark-Sky Park, Anza-Borrego offers some of the best stargazing in the country. On a clear night, the sky fills with planets, star clusters, and the bright band of our home galaxy—views that have vanished from many urban areas.

International Dark Sky Week encourages simple actions, from shielding porch lights to joining a local star party. Look up, get curious, and help keep nights naturally brilliant.