It’s International Dark Sky Week and to celebrate I’m looking back at my 2017 chamber symphony, The Backbone of Night. It is a piece about astrophilia and the loss of the night sky in our urban centers. The title is taken from a painting by Jon Lomberg. The work is in three sections. The first imagines a cityscape with its flashing neon lights and all of the hustle and bustle of modern life, but with a night sky devoid of stars due to ever-present skyglow. The second section imagines a trip to the outskirts of the city where skyglow is no longer a factor and the wonders of the night sky are clearly visible. The final section imagines a modern city that has figured out how to manage its light pollution without diminishing its sense of security or all of the activities that a modern society currently enjoys.