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Revisiting 'Astrotourism' With Marlin On Wednesday's Access Utah

Business Expert Press

In the span of a single lifetime, light pollution stemming from Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) has severed the connection with the stars that we’ve had since the dawn of time. With the nocturnal biosphere significantly altered, light’s anthropogenic influence has compelled millions of people to seek out the last remaining dark skies.

Marlin’s new book, “Astrotourism: Star Gazers, Eclipse Chasers, and the Dark Sky Movement,” explores the growth of the astrotourism industry, identifies star seeker trends, and recounts how the stars have shaped civilizations. Utah is a destination for astrotourism and is heavily involved in the dark sky movement. Monday on Access Utah we’ll talk about meteor storms, eclipses, auroras, and other celestial phenomena, along with the 2024 Great North American Eclipse.

Marlin is the quintessential Renaissance man and has led a life that reads like a novel. Running away with the circus, seeing the world with his juggling act, living in a treehouse in the jungle, writing and illustrating a book, dreaming up an illuminated show that would go on to play internationally, invent a one-of-a-kind toy, and building a homestead where he lives in a solar powered house.

Tom Williams worked as a part-time UPR announcer for a few years and joined Utah Public Radio full-time in 1996. He is a proud graduate of Uintah High School in Vernal and Utah State University (B. A. in Liberal Arts and Master of Business Administration.) He grew up in a family that regularly discussed everything from opera to religion to politics. He is interested in just about everything and loves to engage people in conversation, so you could say he has found the perfect job as host “Access Utah.” He and his wife Becky, live in Logan.