Light pollution is an increasingly widespread problem that has profound, negative effects on the human body and the natural world. This fact has led some to push for measures that aim to mitigate these effects. The first to recognize the problem and call for change were astronomers.

In this episode, we travel to the darkest place in Slovakia, Poloniny dark sky park, to experience something most people have never seen, true1 darkness. There, on a remote hill sits the Astronomical Observatory on Kolonica Saddle where a handful of astronomers are attempting to preserve the night sky while teaching the public about the harms of light pollution. Along with those scientists we spoke with students and visitors about the joys of stargazing.