We tend to take the natural world for granted, until one day we notice it’s gone. Central Texas is a big place, once full of wide-open skies, infinite wildflowers, and dark, but brilliantly lit starry nights.

In most places of the Hill Country, you can still see the Milky Way on a clear night. Connecting our collective view of the cosmos is one of the most precious and awe-inspiring gifts of nature. Our ability to gaze into infinity with the naked eye serves as a needed reminder of just how sma...