The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is a United States-based non-profit organization incorporated in 1988 by founders David Crawford, a professional

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...

, and Tim Hunter, a physician/amateur astronomer. The mission of the IDA is "to preserve and protect the night time environment and our heritage of dark skies through quality outdoor lighting."

Light pollution Light pollution is the presence of unwanted, inappropriate, or excessive use of artificial lighting. In a descriptive sense, the term ''light pollution'' refers to the effects of any poorly implemented lighting, during the day or night. Light po ...

is the result of outdoor lighting that is not properly shielded, allowing light shine into the eyes and

night sky The night sky is the nighttime appearance of celestial objects like stars, planets, and the Moon, which are visible in a clear sky between sunset and sunrise, when the Sun is below the horizon. Natural light sources in a night sky in ...

. Direct light that shines into the eyes is called

glare Glare (derived from GLAss REinforced laminate ) is a fiber metal laminate (FML) composed of several very thin layers of metal (usually aluminum) interspersed with layers of S-2 glass-fiber ''pre-preg'', bonded together with a matrix such as epo ...

, and light directed into the night sky above the

horizon The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...

causes skyglow. Lighting can also cause light trespass when it enters areas where unwanted (e.g. a neighbor's yard and windows). IDA was the first organization in the dark-sky movement, and is currently the largest.

Principal approach

IDA's principal approach is to raise awareness about the value of dark, star-filled night skies and encourage their protection and restoration through education about the problems and solutions, including outdoor

lighting Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing dayl ...

practices that create less light pollution. In 2011, the organization had about 5,000 members in 70 countries.

International Dark Sky Places

To promote awareness about the issues, the IDA has an International Dark Sky Places program that aims "to encourage communities, parks and protected areas around the world to preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting policies and public education". There are currently five types of designation for International Dark Sky Places: * International Dark Sky Sanctuaries * International Dark Sky Parks * International Dark Sky Reserves * International Dark Sky Communities * Urban Night Sky Places

International Dark Sky Sanctuaries

IDA describes Dark Sky Sanctuaries as "the most remote (and often darkest) places in the world whose conservation state is most fragile". * !Ae!Hai Kalahari Heritage Park South Africa, designated 2019 * Aotea / Great Barrier Island New Zealand, designated 2017 * Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness United States, designated 2020 * Beaver Island * Cosmic Campground United States, designated 2016 * Devils River State Natural Area – Del Norte Unit United States, designated 2019 * Gabriela Mistral Dark Sky Sanctuary Elqui Valley, Chile, designated 2015 * Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument United States, designated 2020 * Massacre Rim Wilderness Study Area Washoe County, Nevada United States, designated 2019 * Medicine Rocks State Park United States, designated 2020 *

Niue Niue (, ; niu, Niuē) is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. Niue's land area is about and its population, predominantly Polynesian, was about 1,600 in 2016. Niue is located in a triangle between T ...

, designated 2020 – the first entire country to be designated. * Pitcairn Islands designated 2019 *

Rainbow Bridge National Monument Rainbow Bridge National Monument is administered by Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, southern Utah, United States. Rainbow Bridge is often described as the world's highest natural bridge. The span of Rainbow Bridge was reported in 1974 b ...

United States, designated 2018 * Stewart Island / Rakiura New Zealand, designated 2019 * The Jump-Up Australia, designated 2019

International Dark Sky Parks

IDA describes Dark Sky Parks as "publicly- or privately-owned spaces protected for natural conservation that implement good outdoor lighting and provide dark sky programs for visitors". *

Natural Bridges National Monument Natural Bridges National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located about northwest of the Four Corners boundary of southeast Utah, in the western United States, at the junction of White Canyon and Armstrong Canyon, part of the Colora ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

, United States, designated 2006 * Cherry Springs State Park,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, United States, designated 2008 * Galloway Forest Park,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, United Kingdom, designated 2009 * Zselic National Landscape Protection Area,

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

, designated 2009 *

Clayton Lake State Park Clayton Lake State Park is a state park of New Mexico, United States, featuring a recreational reservoir and a fossil trackway of dinosaur footprints. It is located north of Clayton, close to New Mexico's border with Colorado, Oklahoma, and Te ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

, United States, designated 2010 * Goldendale Observatory State Park,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, United States, designated 2010, suspended 2016, revoked 2017 * Hortobágy National Park, Hungary, designated 2011 * The Headlands,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

, United States, designated 2011 * Observatory Park,

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, United States, designated 2011 *

Big Bend National Park Big Bend National Park is an American national park located in West Texas, bordering Mexico. The park has national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the United States, and was named after ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, United States, designated 2012 *

Big Bend Ranch State Park Big Bend Ranch State Park is a state park located on the Rio Grande in Brewster County, Texas, Brewster and Presidio County, Texas, Presidio counties, Texas. It is the largest state park in Texas. The closest major town is Presidio, Texas, wher ...

, Texas, United States, designated 2017 *

Death Valley National Park Death Valley National Park is an American national park that straddles the California–Nevada border, east of the Sierra Nevada. The park boundaries include Death Valley, the northern section of Panamint Valley, the southern section of Eurek ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, United States, designated 2013 * Chaco Culture National Historical Park,

, United States, designated 2013 * Northumberland National Park, England, United Kingdom, designated 2013 * Eifel National Park,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

, designated 2014 *

Mayland Community College Mayland Community College is a public community college in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. The college also operates learning centers in Newland and Burnsville. The name of the college is derived from the three counties it primarily serves: Mitche ...

Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

, United States, designated 2014 * Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument,

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, United States, designated 2014 *

Hovenweep National Monument Hovenweep National Monument is located on land in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, between Cortez, Colorado and Blanding, Utah on the Cajon Mesa of the Great Sage Plain. Shallow tributaries run through the wide and deep canyons into ...

and

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

, United States, designated 2014 * Copper Breaks State Park, Texas, United States, designated 2014 * Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Texas, United States, designated 2014 *

Elan Valley The Elan Valley ( cy, Cwm Elan) is a river valley situated to the west of Rhayader, in Powys, Wales, sometimes known as the "Welsh Lake District". It covers of lake and countryside. The valley contains the Elan Valley Reservoirs and Elan Vil ...

Estate,

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, United Kingdom, designated 2015 * Yeongyang Firefly Eco Park, Yeongyang,

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

, designated 2015 * Mayo International Dark Sky Park,

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Counci ...

, Republic of Ireland, designated 2016 * Warrumbungle National Park, New South Wales, Australia, designated 2016 *

Dead Horse Point State Park Dead Horse Point State Park is a state park of Utah in the United States, featuring a dramatic overlook of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. The park covers of high desert at an altitude of . Amenities The park has several o ...

, Utah, United States, designated 2016 * Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park,

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

and

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

, United States, designated 2017 *

Ramon Crater Makhtesh Ramon ( he, מכתש רמון; ''lit.'' Ramon Crater/ Makhtesh ; ar, وادي الرمان, links=no) is a geological feature of Israel's Negev desert. Located some 85 km south of the city of Beersheba, the landform is the wo ...

Negev Desert The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב, hanNegév; ar, ٱلنَّقَب, an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its southe ...

, Israel, designated 2017 * Kartchner Caverns State Park, Arizona, United States, designated 2017 * Joshua Tree National Park, California, United States, designated 2017 *

Obed Wild and Scenic River Obed River is a stream draining a part of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. It, and particularly its tributaries, are important streams for whitewater enthusiasts. The Obed River rises in Cumberland County, Tennessee, just south of Crossvi ...

, Tennessee, United States, designated 2017 * Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, United States, designated 2018 * Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, designated 2018 * Steinaker State Park, Utah, United States, designated 2018 *

Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often conside ...

, Arizona, United States, designated 2019 * Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, United States, designated 2019 * Hehuan Mountain, Nantou County,

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...

, designated 2019 * El Morro National Monument,

, United States, designated 2019 *

Kōzu-shima is a volcanic Japanese island in the Philippine Sea. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Izu Shotō'',"''Japan Encyclopedia,'' p. 412. The island is administered by Tōkyō and is located approximately northwest of the Miyake-jima and s ...

, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan, designated 2020 * Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, designated 2021 *

Valles Caldera National Preserve Valles Caldera (or Jemez Caldera) is a wide volcanic caldera in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico. Hot springs, streams, fumaroles, natural gas seeps and volcanic domes dot the caldera floor landscape. The highest point in the caldera ...

, New Mexico, United States, designated 2021

International Dark Sky Reserves

IDA describes Dark Sky Reserves as "dark 'core' zones surrounded by a populated periphery where policy controls are enacted to protect the darkness of the core". * Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve,

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

, New Zealand, designated 2012 *

Brecon Beacons National Park The Brecon Beacons National Park ( cy, Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog) is one of three national parks in Wales, and is centred on the Brecon Beacons range of hills in southern Wales. It includes the Black Mountain ( cy, Y Mynydd Du) i ...

, United Kingdom, designated 2013 *

Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve is a dark-sky preserve near the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, in the U.S. state of Idaho. It was designated on December 18, 2017 and is the first gold-tier dark sky preserve in the United States. The area w ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Monta ...

, United States, designated 2017 * Exmoor National Park, England, United Kingdom, designated 2011 * Kerry International Dark-Sky Reserve,

County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...

, Ireland, designated 2014 * The Reserve at Mont-Mégantic, Quebec, Canada, designated 2008 * Moore's Reserve (South Downs), England, designated 2016 * NamibRand Nature Reserve,

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

, Africa, designated 2012 * Pic du Midi, France, designated 2013 *

Rhön Biosphere Reserve The Rhön Biosphere Reserve includes the entire central area of the Rhön Mountains, a low mountain range in the German states of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia. Aim In 1991 the Rhön was recognised at international level by UNESCO as a biosphe ...

, Germany, designated 2014 *

River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve Swan Reach is a river port in South Australia 127 km north-east of Adelaide on the Murray River between Blanchetown and Mannum in South Australia. It is on the left bank of the river. The Swan Reach Ferry is a cable ferry crossing operat ...

, near Swan Reach, South Australia, designated 2019 * Snowdonia National Park, Wales, designated 2015 *

Westhavelland Nature Park Westhavelland Nature Park is a nature park and reserve in the state of Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Sa ...

, Germany, designated 2014 * Newport State Park,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, United States, designated 2017

International Dark Sky Communities

IDA describes Dark Sky Communities as "legally organized cities and towns that adopt quality outdoor lighting ordinances and undertake efforts to educate residents about the importance of dark skies". *

Flagstaff, Arizona Flagstaff ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Coconino County in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2019, the city's estimated population was 75,038. Flagstaff's combined metropolitan area has an estimated population ...

, United States, designated 2001 *

Borrego Springs, California Borrego Springs (''Borrego'', Spanish for "Sheep") is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Diego County, California. The population was 3,429 at the 2010 census, up from 2,535 at the 2000 census, made up of both seasonal and year-round reside ...

, United States, designated 2009 * Sark,

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

, designated 2011 * Homer Glen, Illinois, United States, designated 2011 *

Coll Coll (; gd, Cola; sco, Coll)Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 31 is an island located west of the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Coll is known for its sandy beaches, which rise to form large sand dunes, for its corncrakes, and for ...

in the

Inner Hebrides The Inner Hebrides (; Scottish Gaelic: ''Na h-Eileanan a-staigh'', "the inner isles") is an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, whi ...

of Scotland, designated 2013 *

Dripping Springs, Texas Dripping Springs is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,650 at the 2020 census. Dripping Springs is a primarily rural town. Geography Dripping Springs is in northern Hays County at (30.191998, –98.085382). It ...

, United States, designated 2014 *

Beverly Shores, Indiana Beverly Shores is a town in Pine Township, Porter County, Indiana, United States, about east of downtown Chicago. The population was 613 at the 2010 census. History Beverly Shores began life as a planned resort community. The Chicago, Lake Shor ...

, United States, designated 2014 *

Sedona, Arizona Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National F ...

, United States, designated 2014 * Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, Colorado, United States, designated 2015 * Thunder Mountain Pootsee Nightsky, Arizona, United States, designated 2015 * Bon Accord, Alberta, Canada, designated 2015 * Horseshoe Bay, Texas, designated 2015 * Moffat, Scotland, designated 2016 * Big Park/Village of Oak Creek, Arizona, designated 2016 *

River Oaks, Texas River Oaks is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. Its population was 7,427 at the 2010 census. Geography River Oaks is located at (32.776696, –97.396052). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of ...

, Dark Sky Friendly Development of Distinction, designated 2017 * Ketchum, Idaho, designated 2017 * Møn, Denmark & Nyord, Denmark, designated 2017 *

Fountain Hills, Arizona Fountain Hills is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Known for its impressive fountain, once the tallest in the world, it borders the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and Scottsdale. Th ...

, designated 2018 * Torrey, Utah, designated 2018 * Camp Verde, Arizona, designated 2018 * Wimberley and Woodcreek, Texas designated 2018

Urban Night Sky Places

IDA describes Urban Night Sky Places as "sites near or surrounded by large urban environs whose planning and design actively promote an authentic nighttime experience in the midst of significant artificial light at night, and that otherwise do not qualify for designation within any other International Dark Sky Places category". * Fry Family Park, Ohio, U.S., designated 2021 * Palos Preserves, Illinois, U.S., designated 2021 * Stacy Park, Missouri, U.S., designated 2021 * Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah, U.S., designated 2020 * Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, U.S., designated 2019

Fixture Seal of Approval

To promote the use of responsible outdoor lighting that minimizes light pollution, the IDA offers a Fixture Seal of Approval program. The program provides objective, third-party certification for lighting products that minimize glare, reduce light trespass, and do not pollute the night sky.

References

External links

Darksky.org: official International Dark-Sky Association website

Darksky.org: Dark Sky Observing Sites & Destinations
(archived 6 July 2010) *
flagstaffdarkskies.org: Flagstaff Dark Skies website
{{Authority control + Astronomy organizations Environmental organizations based in Arizona Environmental organizations established in 1988 Scientific organizations established in 1988 Event management companies

Principal approach

International Dark Sky Places

International Dark Sky Sanctuaries

International Dark Sky Parks

International Dark Sky Reserves

International Dark Sky Communities

Urban Night Sky Places

Fixture Seal of Approval

See also

References

External links