Anja Murray: A lot more to see in the night skies when it's really dark

Artificial light also makes many animals more vulnerable to other threats and less resilient to habitat loss or degradation

'Along Tarsaghaun Bridge', Wild Nephin National Park. Picture: Josh Matthews

Now that we are approaching the autumn equinox, which occurs on September 22 — when day and night are equal, and the northern hemisphere enters the darker half of the year — it’s a good time to pay attention to the wonder of night skies.

Throughout human history, night skies have been part of how we experience the natural world. Constellations of stars are at the core of many cultures’ creation myths and an intrinsic part of human’s worldview. Viewing the full splendour of the night sky, gazing up at the Milky Way on a clear night, is still one of the most awesome experiences available to us.