Set Your Eyes to the Dark Sky of Homer Glen

The International Dark Sky Places (IDSP) conservation program recognizes excellent stewardship of the night sky. The IDSP program was founded in 2001 to encourage communities, parks and protected areas around the world to protect dark skies through responsible lighting policies and public education.

Only three such certified sites currently exist in the Midwest, with two in Illinois—and one is in the Chicago Southland’s own Village of Homer Glen. Homer Glen’s efforts have also influenced lighting plans in other Northern Illinois communities.

Not only does the dark sky make a better environment for stargazing, but a night sky without artificial light is vital to the proper function of natural ecosystems as artificial lighting affects species migration patterns, predator-prey relationships and the circadian rhythms of organisms. To learn more, go to DarkSky.org. For stargazing events in Homer Glen, visit HomerGlenIL.org.