International Dark Sky Week Apr 13, 2026

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.

© Kevin Key/Slworking)/Getty Images

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Today in History

Apr 13, 2018Replica of a Viking home in Dublin National Botanic Gardens, Ireland
Apr 13, 2019Feelin groovy on Record Store Day
Apr 13, 2020Floating temples in the Land of Smiles
Apr 13, 2021Ruins of a royal temple
Apr 13, 2022Mitsumata blossoms
Apr 13, 2023Hitsujiyama Park, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Apr 13, 2024Apple trees in spring, Germany
Apr 13, 2025Songkran—Thai New Year

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Apr 8, 2020Santorini through the clouds
Jan 3, 2021An Alpine fairy-tale castle
Oct 2, 2025Oxbow Bend on the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Nov 16, 2021Glenfinnan Viaduct
Jan 10, 2020League of Nations, 100 years later
Dec 4, 2024Wildlife Conservation Day
Sep 12, 2020A city, a cliff, a canyon…and cheese
Jul 22, 2025Badlands National Park in South Dakota
Apr 16, 2025Anniversary of Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah
Jan 20, 2019It’s Penguin Awareness Day
May 26, 2018Honoring the first American woman in space
Feb 9, 2026Amur leopard cat, Russia
Jan 2, 2026Aerial view of Venice, Italy
Apr 13, 2026International Dark Sky Week
Apr 21, 2021Exploring the Pearl of the Atlantic
Aug 24, 2018A new park with a new mission
May 15, 2025Palace of Westminster, London, England
Feb 23, 2020An icy extravaganza
Oct 11, 2021Indigenous living
Aug 26, 2024Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Apr 19, 2025First day of National Park Week
Mar 13, 2021All hail the king of shrubs
Jun 13, 2021Bear watching in the Finnish forest
Jan 17, 2024Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany
Aug 14, 2018Combating extinction with citizen science
Jul 12, 2018Provence blooms with lavender at Sénanque Abbey
Mar 9, 2023Waimea Canyon and Waipoo Falls, Kauai, Hawaii
Apr 17, 2023International Haiku Poetry Day
May 15, 2023The Canary Islands, Spain