A t 4:31 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1994, the earth near Los Angeles groaned as a fault beneath Northridge gave way to a 6.8-magnitude quake. The shaking toppled buildings, buckled freeways and even derailed trains, and the shockwaves rolled through the South Coast and continued north. Frightened Santa Barbarans who walked outside and peered toward the heavens that morning surely witnessed a rarity: a dark sky over town. Without the city’s lights, it looked as if someone had flipped on a switch powering the stars.

As urban development continues in Santa Barbara County, more and more residents are wishing they could dim the city glow and return darkness to the firmament, contending that doing so would reduce the burden on the strained electrical grid, save money, benefit the environment, and allow us to see the stars again.

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