If all goes to plan, Pinal County will plunge into darkness for 30 minutes on April 8 at an inaugural Dark Skies Lights Out event, the same day when the 2024 total solar eclipse will cross over Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
Dark Skies Lights Out is one of a handful of events planned by elected and employed Pinal County officials and would be part of International Dark Skies Week, which is April 2-8.
“They are planning to notify residents ... in the county to observe and participate in a blackout demonstration where observance would be a method to show the benefits derived of controlled exterior lighting,” Stuart Thornton, a resident of unincorporated Pinal County who appreciates the dark skies, said in an email.
