Dark Sky preserve
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Dark Sky Preserve is a region where light pollution control is enforced.
The first of those preserves was the Torrences Barrens in Ontario, Canada. Nevertheless, protection zone around observatories were existing well before the creation of this preserve.
Since there is no official standard at this moment for the establishment of a dark sky preserve, this is a selft-proclaim status. This reduce the significance of the designation. In some case, dark sky preserve are neither dark, nor really protected.
At the opposite, some observatories are surrounded by a protection zone where the light pollution is controled even if they are not designed as a dark sky preserve.
[edit] List of Dark Sky Preserve
| Name | Country | Area [ha] | Bortle Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress Hills | Canada | 39600 | 2 |
| Elk Island | Canada | 19200 | 4.5 |
| Mont Mégantic | Canada | 5845 | 3 |
| Mount Kobau | Canada | 4710 | 3 |
| McDonald Park | Canada | 2225 | 6 |
| Torrance Barrens | Canada | 1990 | 3 |
| Lake Hudson State Recreational Area | USA | 890 | 3 |
| Potawatomi Wildlife Park | USA | 116 | 4.5 |
| Cherry Springs State Park | USA | 20 | 3 |
[edit] List of protection zone des zones around observatories
| Name | Country | Radius [km] |
|---|---|---|
| McDonald Observatory | USA | 92 |
| Kitt Peak | USA | 56 |
| Mont Mégantic | Canada | 50 |
| Mount Palomar | USA | 48 |
| Mount Hopkins | USA | 40 |
| Monte Ekar | Italy | 30 |
| Asiago | Italy | 30 |
| Mount Laguna | USA | 24 |
| Observatoire de Haute-Provence | France | 15 |
| Ondřejov | Czech Republic | 10 |
| Klet | Czech Republic | 10 |
| Dominion Astrophysical Observatory | Canada | 5 |
[edit] Other zones of protection
Some regions are protected without any reference to an observatory or a park:
- Regions of Coquimbo, Atacama and Antofagasta in the northern Chili.
- Island of La Palma in Canaries
- The Big Island in Hawaii.
