Some national parks are stargazing sanctuaries

People seeking darkness (but not in an emo way) are flocking to national parks. The nature preserves are some of the only places not swallowed by light pollution and airborne particulate matter that obscure the glitter of stars in the night sky.

Darkness amid light

Nocturnal purists head to the 18 national parks that are designated as official Dark Sky Places by DarkSky International, an organization that certifies locations as having minimal light pollution:

• The Official Dark Sky Park list includes the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, and Zion National Parks.
• Even fewer are dark enough to offer the clearest views of the Milky Way and phenomena like Zodiacal Light, meriting inclusion in Dark Sky’s top Gold tier, awarded to parks like California’s Death Valley, Big Bend National Park in Texas, Utah’s Canyonlands National Park, and Nevada’s Grand Basin National Park.

The National Park Service minimizes artificial light disturbance by using glare-free light fixtures, pointing illumination downward, and encouraging visitors to use red flashlights. And many national parks host celebrations of nighttime celestial wonders, known as dark sky nights, with astronomer talks and opportunities to peer through telescopes.

Satellite view: Only 20% of North Americans live in areas where they can see the Milky Way, with the starry spiral blurred by industrial light and particulate emissions for the rest.—SK