International Dark-Sky Association

International Dark-Sky Association
The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is a United States-based non-profit organization incorporated in 1988 by founders David Crawford, a professional astronomer, and Tim Hunter, a physician and 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 is the result of outdoor lighting that is not properly shielded, allowing light shine into the eyes and night sky. Direct light that shines into the eyes is called glare, and light directed into the night sky above the horizon 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 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, Minnesota, United States, designated 2020
Beaver Island
Cosmic Campground United States, designated 2016
Devils River State Natural Area – Del Norte Unit United States, designated 2019
Bardsey Island/Ynys Enlli - Wales (United Kingdom), designated 2023
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, designated 2020 – the first entire country to be designated.
Pitcairn Islands designated 2019
Rainbow Bridge National Monument 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, Utah, United States, designated 2006
Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania, United States, designated 2008
Galloway Forest Park, Scotland, United Kingdom, designated 2009
Zselic National Landscape Protection Area, Hungary, designated 2009
Clayton Lake State Park, New Mexico, United States, designated 2010
Goldendale Observatory State Park, Washington, United States, designated 2010, suspended 2016, revoked 2017
Hortobágy National Park, Hungary, designated 2011
The Headlands, Michigan, United States, designated 2011
Observatory Park, Ohio, United States, designated 2011
Big Bend National Park, Texas, United States, designated 2012
Big Bend Ranch State Park, Texas, United States, designated 2017
Death Valley National Park, California, United States, designated 2013
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico, United States, designated 2013
Northumberland National Park, England, United Kingdom, designated 2013
Eifel National Park, Germany, designated 2014
Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park, North Carolina, United States, designated 2014
Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Arizona, United States, designated 2014
Hovenweep National Monument, Utah and Colorado, 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 Estate, Wales, United Kingdom, designated 2015
Yeongyang Firefly Eco Park, Yeongyang, South Korea, designated 2015
Mayo International Dark Sky Park, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, designated 2016
Warrumbungle National Park, New South Wales, Australia, designated 2016
Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah, United States, designated 2016
Wupatki National Monument, Arizona, United States, designated 2016
Walnut Canyon National Monument, Arizona, United States, designated 2016
Sunset Crater National Monument, Arizona, United States, designated 2016
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Alberta, Canada and Montana, United States, designated 2017
Ramon Crater, Negev Desert, Israel, designated 2017
Kartchner Caverns State Park, Arizona, United States, designated 2017
Joshua Tree National Park, California, United States, designated 2017
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho, designated 2017
Obed Wild and Scenic River, 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
Middle Fork River Forest Preserve, Illinois, United States, designated 2018
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States, designated 2019
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, United States, designated 2019
Hehuan Mountain, Nantou County, Taiwan, designated 2019
El Morro National Monument, New Mexico, United States, designated 2019
Kōzu-shima, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan, designated 2020
Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, designated 2021
Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico, United States, designated 2021
Sky Meadows State Park, Virginia, United States, designated 2021
City of Rocks National Reserve, Idaho, United States, designated 2023
Aenos National Park, Cephalonia, Greece, designated 2023
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, New Zealand, designated 2012
Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, United Kingdom, designated 2013
Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, Idaho, United States, designated 2017
Exmoor National Park, England, United Kingdom, designated 2011
Kerry International Dark-Sky Reserve, County Kerry, Ireland, designated 2014
The Reserve at Mont-Mégantic, Quebec, Canada, designated 2008
Moore's Reserve (South Downs), England, designated 2016
NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia, Africa, designated 2012
Pic du Midi, France, designated 2013
Rhön Biosphere Reserve, Germany, designated 2014
River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve, near Swan Reach, South Australia, designated 2019
Snowdonia National Park, Wales, designated 2015
Westhavelland Nature Park, Germany, designated 2014
Newport State Park, Wisconsin, United States, designated 2017
Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), India, designated 2022
Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve, New Zealand, designated 2023
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, United States, designated 2001
Borrego Springs, California, United States, designated 2009
Sark, Channel Islands, designated 2011
Homer Glen, Illinois, United States, designated 2011
Coll in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, designated 2013
Dripping Springs, Texas, United States, designated 2014
Beverly Shores, Indiana, United States, designated 2014
Sedona, Arizona, 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, Dark Sky Friendly Development of Distinction, designated 2017
Ketchum, Idaho, designated 2017
Møn, Denmark & Nyord, Denmark, designated 2017
Fountain Hills, Arizona, designated 2018
Torrey, Utah, designated 2018
Camp Verde, Arizona, designated 2018
Wimberley and Woodcreek, Texas designated 2018
Crestone, Colorado, designated in 2020
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.
See also
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale
Commission for Dark Skies
CieloBuio, an Italian coordination for the protection of the night sky
Dark-sky movement
Dark-sky preserve
Light pollution
List of astronomical societies
Sky brightness
References
External links
Darksky.org: official International Dark-Sky Association website
Darksky.org: Dark Sky Observing Sites & Destinations (archived 6 July 2010)
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Astronomy organizations
Environmental organizations based in Arizona
Environmental organizations established in 1988
Scientific organizations established in 1988
Event management companies