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On a cold winter night in a rural area, I looked through a scope to see the rings of Saturn for the first time. Connecting grade school science book descriptions with a real life view amazed me.<\/p>\n
Even without a telescope or binoculars, many of us have had similar memorable moments \u2014 like watching the Milky Way galaxy, identifying constellations and safely observing a solar eclipse.<\/p>\n
Dark skies<\/a>\u00a0are places mostly free of light pollution and where one can see celestial features easily. Dark skies can be awe-inspiring, but they\u00a0are also vitally important<\/a>\u00a0for both animal health, human health and local economies.<\/p>\n Even though our current night skies have become polluted with excessive light, there are ways to promote understanding, reduce light pollution and support local communities.\u00a0Tourism researchers in Australia have<\/a>\u00a0defined dark sky tourism (DST) as \u201ctourism based on unpolluted night skies involving observation and appreciation of naturally occurring celestial phenomena.\u201d<\/p>\n My\u00a0colleague Clark Banack<\/a>\u00a0and I have researched factors contributing to the\u00a0success of the Jasper Dark Sky festival in Alberta<\/a>. This research was informed by our combined expertise studying protected areas and environmental education (my areas) and sustainable rural communities (Banack\u2019s area).<\/p>\n Dark skies are important\u00a0because wildlife<\/a>\u00a0and humans have evolved to rely on predictable patterns of dark and light. For example, some amphibians plan their breeding rituals around darkness patterns. Hatchling sea turtles use the bright sea horizon to find the sea. Many mammals and birds hunt at night, using natural light from the moon and stars.<\/p>\n In response, some species evade their predators using the cover of darkness. Many birds migrate at night with the help of cues from the dark skies.\u00a0For humans<\/a>, past and present travellers have planned navigation using dark skies.<\/p>\n The amazing\u00a0night sky has inspired<\/a>\u00a0many cultures in the realms of science, religion, philosophy, art and literature. Regular schedules of dark and light help us live and sleep well.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, light pollution can cause negative effects. For example, artificial light\u00a0confuses migratory species in finding their way<\/a>, changes the timing of reproduction and reduces concealment for prey animals. Nocturnal predators are less effective in catching prey.\u00a0Artificial lights attract insects<\/a>\u00a0in unnaturally high densities.<\/p>\n Furthermore, humans are affected by light pollution, with impacts on our natural circadian rhythms and sleep patterns, which may lead to other more serious health problems. Up to\u00a080 per cent of the world\u2019s population<\/a>\u00a0can\u2019t see key night sky features.<\/p>\n Aside from the environmental effects, the financial costs are high: in the United States alone, researchers estimate the financial cost of wasted energy from light pollution\u00a0to be about US$7 billion per year<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite the spread and impacts of light pollution, many people actively seek out dark skies.\u00a0Dark sky tourism (DST) appears to be growing<\/a>, based on the number of visits to astronomical observatories, development of dark sky preserves, watching auroras, dark sky festivals, solar eclipses, star parties and sky-watching domes.<\/p>\n There are no accurate estimates of the size of DST, but many tourism sites indicate significant visitation and economic impact. For example, research published in 2019 found that dark sky enthusiasts spend more than\u00a0US$500 million each year<\/a>\u00a0visiting\u00a0the Colorado Plateau<\/a>, creating 10,000 jobs.<\/p>\n Yellowknife has been called the aurora capital of North America with an average\u00a0of 240 potential nights per year<\/a>\u00a0and suitable conditions to view the northern lights. In 2018, about 34,000 visitors\u00a0spent CA$57 million<\/a>\u00a0in the Northwest Territories capital.<\/p>\n The large demand for DST and the local economic benefits are strong motivations for maintaining dark skies. Dark sky tourists want reliable opportunities to view the night sky and seek out guided educational programs to support those activities. Communities offering such tourism tend to support these same goals in order to maintain economic impacts.<\/p>\n Some organizations promote efforts to reduce light pollution through advocacy, education, retrofits and the designation of certified dark sky sites.<\/p>\n These night sky advocate groups want to minimize light pollution by limiting brightness on lights, using sensors and timers, changing light hues, minimizing the number of lights and directing lights downwards.<\/p>\n To certify such efforts,\u00a0Dark Sky International<\/a>\u00a0recognizes more than 200 dark sky places in 22 countries.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Royal Astronomical Society of Canada<\/a>\u00a0recognizes 27 dark sky sites across the country, including dark sky preserves, nocturnal preserves and urban star parks, each with unique approaches to reducing lighting.<\/p>\n Canadian sites include\u00a0Point Pelee National Park<\/a>, in Ontario (most southerly),\u00a0Terra Nova National Park<\/a>\u00a0in Newfoundland (most easterly) and\u00a0Cattle Point urban star park<\/a>\u00a0in British Columbia (most westerly), as well as\u00a0Wood Buffalo National Park<\/a>, which spans the Alberta and Northwest Territories border. These and other dark sky sites are natural attractions for dark sky tourists.Wildlife, humans need night and darkness<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Negative effects of light pollution<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Dark sky tourism<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Local economic benefits<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Canadian dark sky sites<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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