Inside the Springfield Elementary auditorium, Principal Skinner introduces British documentary filmmaker Declan Desmond to the students. After Desmond screens part of his latest project, an in-depth look at Krustyburger, Skinner announces that Desmond has been given permission to make a film about Springfield Elementary. Soon after, Desmond’s camera captures a humiliated Bart after he’s hit in the head with a clod of mud. Bart’s status as one of the cool kids at school vanishes. Later, Skinner steers Desmond toward Lisa, but Desmond immediately grows suspicious and suggests that Lisa’s life lacks focus. She determines to pick a career and stick with it. While visiting a museum, she grows intrigued with an exhibit featuring the stars in the cosmos. Lisa realizes she wants to become an astronomer.

Meanwhile, Nelson impresses all the kids by snapping a hood ornament off a Mercedes. Bart is immediately envious. Homer buys Lisa a telescope, and she sets about studying the heavens. But when businesses around town turn on their lights, the night sky is obliterated, along with the stars. Professor Frink explains to Lisa that “light pollution” creates huge headaches for astronomers. Lisa creates a petition, hoping she can gather enough signatures to bring back the night sky. Eventually, she achieves her goal, and during a ceremony at city hall, Mayor Quimby accesses a fuse box containing a dimmer switch. He turns the switch…and lights throughout town dim to faint glows. Lisa tells everyone that thanks to her victory, people throughout town will be able to experience the Deadly Meteor Shower, a celestial spectacle that occurs the following week. With the town now in darkness, Nelson and his bully friends sweep through town, tearing hood ornaments off cars. They’re so effective that Bart can’t find any cars left to vandalize. Bart soon focuses on a car with a beautiful ornate ornament…which turns out to be owned by Fat Tony. Posing as a valet driver, Bart tricks Fat Tony into handing him his keys. Bart sets to work with a saw as the sun sets over the horizon.

Meanwhile, a large group of people protests the lack of light, and Mayor Quimby reverses his decision. He turns the dimmer back up, exposing Bart and Milhouse as they work on removing the ornament from Fat Tony’s car. Bart and Milhouse run off, leaving the hood ornament behind. Mayor Quimby turned the dimmer all the way up, turning night into day. Soon after, everyone’s body clock goes haywire, and no one is able to fall asleep. With Bart still obsessing over Fat Tony’s hood ornament, Lisa realizes that she and Bart want the same thing: Darkness. Realizing that Homer is delirious from lack of sleep, Lisa takes advantage of the situation. She and Bart access the nuclear power plant where Homer works, where Bart pushes a lever, overloading the circuits. Soon, lights throughout town begin to explode from the surge of electricity. The town is plunged into darkness. Angry townspeople rush towards Bart and Lisa, threatening them with harm. Suddenly, the mob looks at the sky, and they’re treated to a spectacular meteor shower. In another part of town, Fat Tony and his men look skyward. Bart seizes the opportunity and snips off the hood ornament using bolt cutters. Later, Bart shows off his prize for Desmond’s cameras.