Celebrate International Dark Sky Week Because You Deserve a Miracle.
Anyone in the city tends to comment on the brightness of the stars when they find themselves in the countryside after dark. But, cliché or not, when you’re so used to living in light-polluted places, being able to experience the opposite can take you by surprise.
And if you haven’t heard the term or thought about light pollution somewhere in the mid-90s, most likely the work of one group is what first caught your attention: founded in 1988 and currently based in Tucson, Arizona. The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) is the world’s leading organization working to reduce light pollution, and this is their week.
According to IDA, 83% of the world’s population lives under light-polluted skies, so the least we can do is pay attention to this issue within a week. Although International Dark Sky Week actually started on Monday, April 5, it will run until April 12, so you still have a few days to participate.
Find an official dark place
No, not in your heart – an area that has received a special designation from the IDA for its efforts to preserve and protect dark places around the world. There are five separate designations , each offering a different experience:
- International Dark Sky Communities are statutory cities that enact quality outdoor lighting regulations and make efforts to educate residents about the importance of dark skies.
- International Dark Sky Parks Parks are public or private conservation areas that provide good outdoor lighting and dark sky programs for visitors.
- The international reserves “Dark Skies” consist of a dark “central” zone surrounded by populated periphery, where political control measures are taken to protect the darkness of the core.
- Dark Sky International Sanctuaries The sanctuaries are the most remote (and often darkest) locations in the world and the most fragile state of preservation.
- Urban Night Sky Places UNSP are properties located close to or surrounded by major urban neighborhoods whose planning and design actively promote an authentic night experience amid significant artificial lighting at night, and which otherwise would not qualify for any other International category. Dark Sky Places.
Use this interactive map to find a dark place near you. Then grab your telescope and a few friends (or at least some reflective clothing) and embrace it all.
Check Events Calendar
If you don’t want to venture alone in the dark, the International Dark Sky Week website has an entire calendar filled with events around the world for every day of the week. Some are local stargazing events or organized efforts to reduce light pollution, while others allow you to stream the night sky live from the comfort of your own couch.