Big and bright: Leander works to keep stars visible in night sky

Speaking at the March 25 City Council meeting, Liberty Hill resident Molly Evans called the local campaign in favor of dark skies “a community-led effort to protect Liberty Hill’s character, quality of life, wildlife, pollinators, public safety and health.”

The big picture

In February, Leander began the process of applying for recognition as an International Dark Sky Place by DarkSky International. Liberty Hill was named an International Dark Sky Place in July 2025.

Both Leander and Liberty Hill currently have outdoor lighting ordinances that include stipulations such as warmer light colors, shielded fixtures that direct light downward, limited brightness, restrictions on when outdoor lights may be on, and limits on light that intrudes on neighboring properties.

Organized efforts to light pollution in Liberty Hill began in 2020 with the formation of a community group called Save Our Stars. The city then adopted a dark skies ordinance, and recognition by DarkSky International followed in 2025. Thompson said Leander enacted its ordinance to limit light pollution in 2005, updated it in 2016, and could revise it again as part of the Dark Sky Place application process the city is currently pursuing.

DarkSky International is a nonprofit organization founded in 1988 whose stated mission is "to restore the nighttime environment and protect communities and wildlife from light pollution."

Michael Rymer, communities program manager for DarkSky International, said the group's work is "all to improve outdoor lighting used at night, to reduce light pollution not just for a better view of the stars, but to cut costs on energy—cut waste in the energy used to illuminate our surroundings at night when we don't need to—and for environmental impact."

One way in which the organization encourages efforts to fight light pollution is by certifying communities, parks and other places as International Dark Sky Places. Rymer said he sees dark sky certification as something undertaken not just by local governments but by residents as well.

Several other communities in the greater Austin area are recognized as International Dark Sky Places, including Dripping Springs, Bee Cave and Jonestown.

Diving in deeper

Scientific research shows that light pollution can have complex and far-reaching effects on the environment and may also affect human health.

"A lot of species travel, reproduce, migrate [and] hunt at night, so our introduction of excessive light at night into their environment is detrimental to their survival," Rymer said.

According to DarkSky International, one of the most significant environmental impacts of light pollution begins with drawing insects out of wild areas. Because many insects are drawn to light, artificial light can bring them out of their natural habitats. This can kill large number of insects, disrupting both the food chain for larger animals and the pollination of native plants.

Also, when insects move toward artificially lit areas, larger animals that prey on them often follow, leading more and more animals out of the wild and into potentially dangerous developed areas. Nighttime lighting also harms birds by disrupting migration patterns and confusing them, leading to collisions with buildings.

According to DarkSky International, research suggests that light pollution may also have detrimental effects on human health, primarily by shifting sleep cycles and disrupting chemical signals like melatonin, a hormone that signals to the body that it's time to sleep.

DarkSky International maintains an extensive database online with thousands of scientific research papers that explore how artificial light at night impacts wildlife, ecosystems and human health.

What they're saying

Lighting ordinances have received broad support in Leander and Liberty Hill. However, some local business owners have criticized the restriction. Keith Bright, owner of Bright Fire Cigars, objects to restrictions on using electronic signs at night.

"The city should not have any say in when I can market my business," Bright said at a March 11 City Council meeting. "I have had many customers tell me they saw the sign at 3 or 4 in the morning and came back when I was open to buy a product."

Pastor Bill Brannan of Life Springs Church said he believes enforcing electronic sign restrictions on churches violates religious liberty.

"I think if everyone understood the value of LED signs for the flourishing of the whole community, we would support the right of churches, schools and businesses to use them," Brannan said.

Supporters of the dark sky ordinance spoke at a March 25 council meeting.

"I've lived [here] 25 years, out in a dark sky community. I just want to sit on my back porch and enjoy the fruits of my labor," said Nick Page, a resident of Liberty Hill's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Liz Branigan, former mayor of Liberty Hill, said, "I think that [the dark sky ordinance] is the right thing to do, that we should honor the beauty of Texas, the beauty of the Lord's creation, and protect all the little creatures and the things that belong in the night, and all the children who have never seen stars and never really known wonder."

What's next

Michael Chenausky, senior planner with Leander Development Services, said city staff expect a timeline of about two years for the city to receive official recognition as an International Dark Sky Place.

At a February City Council meeting, most of Leander's elected officials said they believe it's worth it because they see dark skies as a long-term quality-of-life issue.

"When we think about where Leander has come from and where we're headed, I think we want to make sure that we're environmentally sound and that we're doing things that improve the quality of life for our residents that live here, and part of that is being able to see the sky at night," Thompson said. "As we think about going forward, what do we want our city to look like?"