Want to be in the dark?

[takesiteasy]

The International Dark Sky Association has named Death Valley National Park Named As Largest International Dark Sky Park

http://www.darksky.o...onservation/287

 

[ski3pin]

The night skies can be wonderful in parts of DVNP! Thanks for posting.

 

[takesiteasy]

I hope to visit the park someday to see for myself.


From the website of the IDSA:


“Death Valley is a place to gaze in awe at the expanse of the Milky Way, follow a lunar eclipse, track a meteor shower, or simply reflect on your place in the universe,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “We greatly appreciate the International Dark-Sky Association certification. It illustrates the park’s commitment to protect natural darkness and supports the wider mission to protect nightscapes of the entire National Park System.”

The park prides itself on the sense of solitude and quiet found there, yet it still attracts nearly a million visitors per year. While Death Valley is comprised of rugged wilderness areas and is famous for its extreme climate, the night skies above the park are as fragile as the land below. The 3.4 million acre park is largely free of its own sources of light pollution but the lights of distant Las Vegas and other cities do have an impact on the park’s skies and desert nightlife.

IDSA Executive Director Bob Parks says, “Death Valley’s night skies are a thing of beauty that everyone should have a chance to see. We hope that the action the park has taken to preserve the night sky within its borders will inspire surrounding communities to follow their example.”

...


Death Valley IDSP hosts regular astronomy and dark sky awareness events. Coming up is the 2nd annual Mars Fest on March 1-3, 2013. Learn more by visiting http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/lightscape.htm and IDA’s page on International Dark Sky Places www.darksky.org/parks