Tyler Nordgren is an astronomer living in Ithaca NY. He earned a PhD in astronomy from Cornell University in 1997 for work on dark matter and has been an astronomer at Lowell Observatory and the U.S. Naval Observatory, as well as a former Full Professor at the University of Redlands in California.
In addition to publishing roughly two dozen peer reviewed scientific articles he is also the author of “Stars Above, Earth Below: A guide to astronomy in the national parks,” a popular science book dedicated to revealing what visitors to America’s national parks can observe in a dark night sky.
Since 2007, Dr. Nordgren has worked closely with the U.S. National Park Service Night Sky Program to promote astronomy outreach and night-sky preservation in national parks.
Dr. Nordgren has helped document this vanishing landscape with award-winning artwork and night sky photography that is on sale many national parks. As a result of this work he was awarded the International Dark-Sky Association’s Dark Sky Defender Award in 2020.
His artwork has also been collected by the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, been displayed at the White House, and even sits on the surface of Mars onboard the Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity Mars rovers.
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Chad Moore holds degrees in Geography and Earth Science and has a longtime interest in the beauty and science of the night sky.
Mr. Moore co-founded the U.S. National Park Service Night Skies Program in 1999 and led that team through 2014. This team of scientists, naturalists, and educators developed methods and instrumentation for measuring light pollution, sponsored several outdoor lighting retrofits in parks, and developed policies for the cooperative protection of night skies in parks and communities. The Night Skies Program was awarded the International Dark-Sky Association’s Dark Sky Defender Award in 2013 and their work has appeared in documentary films and books.
Mr. Moore was instrumental in developing the concept of Dark Sky Parks and Dark Sky Reserves, popularizing astronomy festivals, and elevating the practice of night sky ranger programs in over a hundred national and state parks. He has served as chair of two International Dark-Sky Association committees, the Dark Sky Places committee and the Technical Committee, and remains engaged in international dark sky conservation efforts and the application of better outdoor lighting practices.
His favorite hobby is sharing the night sky with others.