Growing up in northern Idaho, the curtain of stars in the Milky Way was just part of the night sky for Vicky Derksen.
It wasn’t until she came to Phoenix in 1995 that she learned that light pollution prevented 80% of the population of Earth from seeing a clear view of the galaxy they are part of.
“I thought everyone could see the Milky Way,” Derksen said. After learning about light pollution, she wanted her own kids to experience the night sky like she saw as a child. Her family moved to Fountain Hills in 1997, and while a better view than Phoenix, it was still well short of the dazzling star shows in the Mountain West where she grew up.
