Under the night : the futures of dark skies

Dunn, Nick and Edensor, Time (2023) Under the night : the futures of dark skies. In: Dark Skies : Places, Practices, Communities. Routledge, London, pp. 251-267. ISBN 9781032528021

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Abstract

In this concluding chapter, we bring together the theoretical frameworks, methodological approaches, and empirical work in order to explain their implications for this emerging multi- and interdisciplinary field. We discuss the manifold perspectives and encounters of dark skies that coexist and the different histories, geographies, and practices that are informing a multitude of different experiences and representations of dark skies. We examine how artistic and other creative practices contribute toward a better understanding of dark skies and enrich academic theories through fresh perspectives and provide valuable critical accounts for interdisciplinary research. The chapter then explains how we might reconfigure the relationship between light and dark before proposing how and why reconnecting with dark skies is vital to addressing key environmental and social issues now and for the future. We argue that reattunement, re-enchantment, and sensory redistribution will be integral to this goal. We conclude by emphasising the importance of building more dark sky communities at a range of scales to extend the protection of dark sky places.