An Interview with NIGHT SKY TOURIST Creator Vicky Derksen

The title of Summer Triangle is, quite literally, written in the stars. As I’ve mentioned previously, I chose the title because I thought this asterism in the summer sky was the perfect metaphor for a “found family.” While I enjoyed researching the myths surrounding the Summer Triangle and weaving them into my novel, I’m no astronomer.

However, many of you have since reached out to tell me about your own interests in stargazing. (I understand the impulse - I’m curious, too!) Vicky Derksen, the creator of the Night Sky Tourist podcast and blog, is the expert we actually need to teach us more about the stars. Vicky was kind enough to speak with me about her background in stargazing, her best tips for beginners, and her advocacy work in preserving our relationship with the stars.

*Please note that this interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Elizabeth Webster: Vicky, thank you so much for speaking with me. Since my book has come out, I’ve had so many questions from readers about astronomy, so I thought it would be fun to connect them with someone more knowledgeable. I love your website. I think it’s amazing, and it has so many resources. As background, how did you come up with the idea for Night Sky Tourist?

Vicky Derksen: Well, it originated with me teaching a Naked Eye Stargazing class in my community. It was a big group of homeschool students, and the parents asked if they could participate. It ended up being this really cool community class, and it lasted - I think it was four months long. That’s [how] I got my start. Through that, I met people who were part of an organization in my community called the Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association. They were working with our town government to try to get our town certified as an International Dark Sky Community, so I met them because of the class. I ended up joining their board and got to help take that project over the finish line. Our community, Fountain Hills, Arizona, was certified as a Dark Sky Community in January of 2018. Then, we hosted our first Dark Sky Festival, so I helped with that. It just kept growing. We worked to build a facility here called the International Dark Sky Discovery Center. We started the idea for that project in 2018, and we just broke ground last year. So, I felt like everything I was doing was bringing me back to [the] night sky. At the end of 2019, I wanted to build my own thing. I first started a blog, and then in 2020, I launched the podcast which is still going. Then, I started my own stargazing business here, which has been very sought-after. It all sort of organically grew.

EW: So, if someone wants to begin stargazing, are there certain materials that they need to start?

VD: If someone decided today: “I want to start learning the night sky tonight,” then I would tell them download a free stargazing app. Go outside. I always recommend turning the screen brightness all the way down on their phones, and to put the screens in “night mode” to give it that reddish hue. The reason is because our eyes are so sensitive when we get into the darkness. When a little bit of light hits our eyes, we lose our night vision. When you see something that’s interesting, you [use the app] and point your phone up there. You can start learning that that constellation is called Orion, and that’s Gemini, and - I thought that was a bright star, but it’s actually Venus. That’s where you start.

EW: Do you recommend that you start in community or by yourself?

VD: You can, but there’s no reason to delay or wait. Everybody can step into your own backyard. I know that most of us - over 90% of Americans live under light-polluted skies. Not everyone has the best night sky, but everybody can see something. I would say: if there’s an interest, start tonight in your own backyard. A lot of communities have astronomy clubs. Some astronomy clubs will lead star parties. Those are usually public events, usually run by amateur astronomers who are super passionate and really smart.

EW: What about binoculars versus a telescope? Should people hold off really investing in stargazing?

VD: I see different levels. I see a lot of value in learning the night sky with the naked eye. When you look up there and see things, the sky takes on so much more meaning and we are able to anchor ourselves to it more when we can identify the major constellations. I grew up only knowing how to find the moon and the Big Dipper. I didn’t even know what Orion looked like in my thirties. Once I started learning the constellations and I could find them myself, the whole nighttime experience [gave me] this sense of connection. I think that naked eye stargazing is - by far - the best.

Now, most people don’t want to stop there. They want to see the rings of Saturn. Binoculars are great - they’re easy to keep in your car. The trick with those is [they’re] great for the moon, but hard to hold still with deep space [viewing]. You have to really lean against something to prop up your elbows, otherwise it’s hard to get a clear view of something. I personally would never discourage anyone from using binoculars. I keep a pair in my car. And then, with a telescope, you get into a whole new level. Telescopes take a learning curve and more of a financial commitment. But for people who want to take that plunge, they absolutely should. Honestly though, I feel like learning the night sky through naked eye stargazing gives you so much to enjoy.

EW: So, if you wanted to travel to find a stargazing site, what should we be looking for?

VD: There’s a map you can look at on at www.darksky.org that shows the places they’ve certified as dark sky locations. There’s certainly a lot more places than what’s been certified. A lot of national parks and some state parks are generally in places that are a bit darker, or places where people might [go camping] … will be darker. It’s just a matter of seeing how far you can get away from the city.

EW: Is there an ideal season for stargazing?

VD: The night sky is very seasonal. The stars that I can see in the winter, I can’t see in the summer and vice versa. I think it would be great for people who don’t stargaze all the time … to plan into your schedule at least one stargazing experience each season. For example, we’re coming towards the end of winter, and Orion dominates the winter sky. In the summertime, you can’t see Orion at all. Instead, the [constellations] that dominate are Scorpius and Sagittarius and the Milky Way. I call summer the “Milky Way Season.” And every year, the planets show up at different times.

EW: What role does the moon play in stargazing?

VD: It plays a really big role, because it depends on what your goal is. If your goal is to see as many stars as possible and as many faint things as possible, you need to go out when there’s no moon in the sky. You don’t have to be limited to just New Moon, or when you don’t see a moon. You can also do it in the ten days leading up to the New Moon, because the moon rises later and later after the Full Moon. So, any time during that time, you will probably go stargazing and not see the moon. If you want to do telescope viewing of the moon, the best time to do that is a couple days after the New Moon so you can actually see it - so from about three days after the New Moon until about the First Quarter. That’s the best time, because the sun is hitting it at such an angle that you see deep texture of the craters. Full Moon is a terrible time for stargazing, because it really washes out the sky. But it’s a great time to do a Full Moon walk or hike, because it’s so bright that you almost don’t need a flashlight.

EW: And what has having a connection to the sky meant to you personally?

VD: There’s a … motto that the National Park Service uses: half the park is after dark. I love that phrase because I’ve come to understand that half the human experience is after dark, but we’ve lost it. We’ve lost half of it. We’ve got light pollution that’s taken a lot of that away from us. But all the things that humanity relied on the night sky for [in the past] we don’t need … anymore. We don’t use it to tell the time or to navigate. We don’t use it for anything, so we’ve completely lost all connection with it. All of the different cultures around the world have these star stories that were part of their cultural existence, like a calendar. Most people can’t find the constellations, let alone using the stars for anything. So, we’re fully cut off from that part of our former existence. That’s why I’m a Dark Sky advocate. Preserving our dark skies doesn’t mean no light; it means the right kind of light. It’s become so valuable to me, because I realize we’ve lost a lot.

I’m so grateful to Vicky Derksen for sharing her passion for the night sky and her tips with us! Please check out her website, https://nightskytourist.com for more information and invaluable resources.

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