FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“SKYGLOW” BOOK AND VIDEO SERIES NOW COMPLETE
Viral Kickstarter Project on light pollution crosses continent to raise awareness.
Renowned timelapse artists and filmmakers Gavin Heffernan and Harun Mehmedinović are proud to introduce SKYGLOW; a 192-page hardcover photobook and Blu-Ray timelapse video series exploring North America’s remaining magnificent night skies and the increasing impact of light pollution on our highly fragile environment.
A blend of images, stories, essays, and anecdotal captions, SKYGLOW explores the history and mythology of celestial observation and the proliferation of electrical outdoor lighting that spurred the rise of the phenomena known as “light pollution,” a grave threat not only to our incredible starscapes but also to the very ecosystem itself.
After a highly publicized Kickstarter campaign that ended as the fourth-most earning Photobook campaign ever, Harun and Gavin traveled over 150,000 miles and logged more than 500,000 photos on their grueling three-year quest. From incredible locations like the active Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii to Alberta’s majestic Northern Lights, SKYGLOW takes viewers on a visual journey through time, exploring our civilization’s evolving relationship with light and the night sky through the ages.
See how the Ancient Puebloan archaeoastronomy sites of our native elders have now been replaced with the blinding “artificial day” of over-lit modern metropolises, and learn about the “Dark Sky Movement” fighting to reclaim the pristine darkness the Earth had enjoyed for billions of years. The importance of America’s threatened National Parks is also highlighted in a section of stunning landscapes from numerous parks, including Shenandoah, Yosemite, Acadia, Death Valley, Yellowstone and many more.
Completed in collaboration with the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), SKYGLOW also explores the numerous towns and sites that IDA has identified as official “Dark-Sky” Communities, Cities, Parks, Reserves and Sanctuaries.
Light pollution (aka “skyglow”) affects human health, animal migratory patterns, obstructs astronomy research and leads to over two billion dollars of lost energy every year in the USA. The book includes original essays on the subject from key science voices like BAD ASTRONOMY blogger and author Phil Plait, Eric Betz of ASTRONOMY MAGAZINE, and night sky crusader / poster artist Tyler Nordgren.
Though this is the first time Heffernan and Mehmedinović have put their night sky photos in print, their SKYGLOW timelapse collaborations have been seen by over 50 million viewers, and featured in a vast array of media and pop culture venues, like The Rolling Stones 2015 ZIP CODE stadium tour and their 2016 DESERT TRIP shows, the Roger Waters DESERT TRIP shows and his 2016 Mexico concerts, the 2016 Cosmic Gate Video “am2pm”, BBC Earth, Virgin America, the National Parks “100 Years” Centennial Video and more.
To download promotional photos of the book visit: http://bit.ly/2ogPeqd