Dark Sky Crossword Puzzles

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Across
  1. 3. To help prevent light pollution, make sure your outdoor lighting faces ________, to keep them from shining into the sky.
  2. 5. Since ancient times, various _______ across the world have relied on the stars and dark skies for guidance, sustenance, and meaning.
  3. 6. Our solar system is considered ________, meaning the Sun, or Sol, sits at the center with our planet and others orbiting around it.
  4. 9. This is a natural satellite that orbits a planet or other celestial body, Earth has just one of them, but some planets have as many as 247.
  5. 10. Our night skies are cosmic _______ that reveal to us wonders far beyond Earth and even our solar system, allowing us to see deep space objects like dazzling galaxies, glowing nebulae, and glittering star clusters that connect us to the vast universe.
  6. 11. This is an immense system of stars, solar systems, gas, and dust, all bound together by gravity.
  7. 12. These are immense cloud of gas and dust found in space. Some are born from the remnants of dying stars.
  8. 13. This is is a celestial body that must orbit a star, is massive enough for its gravity to shape it into a sphere, and has cleared its orbital path of other similar‑sized objects. Our solar system has 8 of them.
  9. 15. are large bodies of ice and dust that orbit the Sun, their glowing tails stream across the sky. These ancient travelers are remnants from the solar system’s formation 4.6 billion years ago.
  10. 17. We live in the ______ Galaxy.
  11. 18. Light pollution suppresses _______ production, a hormone essential for regulating sleep, which can lead to insomnia, fatigue, and increased risk of long-term health issues.
Down
  1. 1. Close your curtains or _____ at night to prevent indoor light from spilling outside.
  2. 2. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is seeking ______ Night Sky Place designation, recognizing places that are near cities, but whose planning and design actively promote an authentic nighttime experience in the midst of artificial light.
  3. 4. Encroaching city lights disrupt these natural ________, altering behaviors and threatening the delicate balance of nocturnal life that defines the desert ecosystem.
  4. 7. are patterns of stars in the night sky that resemble shapes such as animals, objects, or mythological figures.
  5. 8. Light pollution has a ________ impact on plant, human, and animal health.
  6. 14. The _____ Dark Sky Scale is a nine-tier system used to measure night sky brightness.
  7. 16. Many desert ______ depend on natural light cycles to regulate flowering, dormancy, and leaf drop, but artificial light can disrupt these rhythms, making them more vulnerable to drought, frost, and pests