TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE MARCH 3, 2026 AT 4:33 AM
If you want to catch a glimpse of the upcoming lunar eclipse, you’ll have to wake up early! The maximum total lunar eclipse will take place at 4:33 am MST on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. For about an hour, the full moon will turn a reddish-orange color as it moves across the Earth’s shadow, thus the name “blood moon”. Click HERE to learn more from NASA.
GREEN DRINKS
Sustainable Chaffee invited Dark Sky Salida to present at the February 24th Green Drinks at Tres Litros Beer Company. We enjoyed meeting so many of you who attended! There were many great questions, one of which asked about how to address a neighbor’s light that is trespassing onto your property. DarkSky International has an article HERE with suggested actions to address this.
Here are links to two inexpensive light shields, similar to what was shown at Green Drinks.
Walmart
Amazon
The same outdoor light, with and without a shield.
CURRENT SALIDA
This photo was taken at the top of the stairs on S Mountain at 4:00 am on February 19, 2026 with a 15 second exposure. The exposure exaggerates the brightness somewhat; however, you can clearly see the glow in the sky from the many unshielded lights. We are working to shield and dim many of these lights over time.
LAND USE CODE REVISION INCORPORATES DARK SKY LIGHTING
The most recent Salida Land Use Code, which became effective on December 22, 2025, codifies many of the lighting practices needed to keep our skies dark. These include:
-Shielding so that light is directed downward and does not fall on adjoining properties.
-Installing yellow/amber “soft white” lights, rather than bluish “bright white”. (Technically, lights must have a “correlated color temperature” (CCT) of 3000° K or less. Check the label on the light package.)
-Avoiding extremely bright lighting.
-Mounting lights lower to the ground.
Full details are in section 15-4-100 of the Code, which is available here on the city website.
DARK SKIES REVIEWED BY CITY COUNCIL
An overview of Dark Sky efforts in our city was the primary topic of the City Council work session on February 17, 2026. A recording of the session is available here on the city’s YouTube channel.
In addition, during the Council’s Regular Meeting the mayor asked the City Administrator to determine whether the city could formally express support for Dark Skies in Salida. More on this in a future newsletter.
Got questions? Contact us HERE
Dark Sky Salida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving and enhancing our local natural nighttime environment. The vision is that the night sky in Salida becomes darker over time. Along the way, we will pursue certification of Salida as a Dark Sky Community, at the same time informing citizens, visitors, and civic leaders on the impact of excessive or inappropriate Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) and measures everyone can take to mitigate it.
Dark Sky Salida | darkskysalida.org | info@darkskysalida.org