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Starry, starry nights - protecting our Dark Sky Places
- Title
- Protecting our Dark Sky Places
Starry, starry nights - protecting our Dark Sky Places
- Effective Date
- 2024-11-14 15:00
Our night sky is getting brighter every year, meaning we’re seeing fewer stars as time goes by. Dark Sky Places are helping to turn back the clock.
It almost goes without saying that artificial light is essential in modern life. From illuminating our homes once the sun goes down to helping to make our streets safer, we simply cannot do without additional illumination.
However, the collective impact of all of those lights being on in homes, workplaces, retail stores, offices and public spaces is pretty significant.
Research shows that the night sky has been brightening by around 10% per year from 2011 to 20221. This light pollution not only affects our ability to see the stars, but also disrupts ecosystems and human sleep patterns, as well as contributing to climate change and blocking our view of the universe.
Less than 100 years ago, being able to look up and see spectacular starry night was the norm – today, many people will never see the Milky Way.
To help combat this, the International Dark Sky Association was formed back in 1988 – and has since established more than 200 ‘Dark Sky Places’ across the world, including one of the most recent – in Sydney’s Upper North Shore.
Preserving and protecting the dark skies
Today, the International Dark Sky Association is known as DarkSky International, and since its conception, its mission has been consistent – to ‘preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through quality outdoor lighting’.
It aims to restore the nighttime environment and protect communities from the harmful effects of light pollution through outreach, advocacy and conservation.
In practice, this comprises a number of elements, including responsible outdoor lighting and ‘Dark Sky Approved’ products that help reduce light pollution, such as smart lighting, and education around the impact of excessive artificial light.
As you’d expect, areas need to meet stringent criteria to be designated a Dark Sky place. The first officially designated Dark Sky Place was Flagstaff in Arizona, designated in 2001, while here in Australia, our first International Dark Sky Park – Warrumbungle National Park in NSW – was officially designated in 2016. In 2019, The Jump-Up in Queensland and the River Murray Dark Sky Reserve in South Australia were both awarded official Dark Sky status.
Enjoying the dark skies on Sydney’s Upper North Shore
Earlier this year, Palm Beach Headland became Australia’s first Urban Night Sky Place, covering 62 hectares and incorporating Governor Phillip Park and Barrenjoey Headland, which is part of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
As well as being an Australian first, Palm Beach Headland is the first place in the Southern Hemisphere to be designated as an Urban Night Sky Place.
It followed almost four years of work, and Northern Beaches Council Mayor Sue Heins said: “This designation is a testament to our commitment to preserving and celebrating the beauty of the night sky amidst urban environments. As cities expand and light pollution increases, it becomes increasingly crucial to protect and appreciate our connection to the stars above.”
Over the Bass Strait, meanwhile, Dark Sky Tasmania is focused on protecting the island’s existing ‘night sky assets’.
The impact of dark skies
Of course, this is more than a feel-good venture – it all translates into something that’s meaningful, too. For example, retrofitting Dark Sky-friendly lighting in Snowdonia National Park saved 7500kw of energy and 1.8 tonnes of carbon emissions annually2, while Mont-Mégantic International Dark Sky Reserve in Canada saw a 25% reduction in area light pollution and a reduction in energy consumption of 1.3 gigawatt-hours per year3 – and these impacts are typical in Dark Sky areas.
Throw into the mix improved environmental and human health and there’s a lot of positives when it comes to dark skies.
And then, there’s the stars…
How does artificial light affect nighttime visibility?
According to the International Astronomical Union, artificial light from poorly designed, incorrectly directed light fixtures, shines into the sky, and from there, it is scattered by air molecules, moisture and aerosols in the atmosphere causing the night sky to take on an often bright orange appearance, a phenomenon known as ‘sky-glow’.
Take a star-gazing trip – 3 of the best Dark Sky locations to add to your bucket list
Minami-Rokuroshi, Japan
Located in the foothills of Mt Kyogatake, Minami-Rokuroshi is the only other Urban Night Sky Place (the other, of course, being Palm Beach) that is a designated Urban Night Sky Place outside of the US.
Located in Ono City, the area has seen outdoor lighting replaced with light pollution control-type lighting fixtures and has actively promoted and raised awareness about light pollution.
River Murray Dark Sky Reserve, South Australia
Closer to home, the River Murray Dark Sky Reserve spans 3200 sq km, and has restricted development inside the park to structures associated with conservation management, ensuring the night skies are beautifully visible.
Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, USA and Mexico
At over 9 million acres, the Greater Big Bend is the world’s largest reserve, spanning from Fort Davis in Texas to the Rio Grande River on the USA/Mexico border, and includes three protected areas in Mexico.