The International Dark Sky Association

The International Dark Sky Association is helping to create magic for RVers and campers alike.
If you are a fan of stars, you are inherently a fan of the dark sky. Those glittering mysteries that dot the heavens are fuel for wonder and excitement and always seem to stoke the flames of imagination. A clear, starry night can be a magical moment and if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in an area without much light pollution from cities and civilization, you will surely be in for a stargazer’s smile. If you’ve never seen the night sky away from the bright lights of the developed world, hop in your car and head out towards anywhere away from it all immediately! You’ll be happy you did as the true colors of the cosmos reveal themselves in ways that have been capturing the amazement of humanity for millennia.

Whether you consider yourself a diehard star searcher or are simply looking for a romantic evening away from the city, there are plenty of great star gazing spots around the country. If you are reading this blog, chances are you have an RV and love to travel. That means you are probably already used to hitting the highways in search of the many wild and wonderful sights that you can access from an automobile. When searching for great stars, it’s fairly easy to back up the RV and head to your favorite campground or secret location to catch a meteor shower or see the milky way. If you have the itch to explore and want to take things a bit further, you’ll want to know about the International Dark Sky Association.

Related Read: Shooting Stars and Passing Cars - The Best RV Camping and Stargazing Locations

What is It?

The International Dark Sky Association (IDSA) is an organization that was created to “preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.” That’s the mission statement taken directly from their website and although you might be wondering, “how do you protect the night sky…?”, keep on reading to see how amazing this organization can be for all astronomic aficionados out there. The IDSA was created to keep us all in awe when we look up at night and they are doing a great job of living up to their mission. The organization tries to limit the use of artificial light that causes light pollution and takes away from the truly magical experience of watching the nighttime wonders of the world above. The IDSA also educates the public on the benefits of limiting light pollution and works alongside city planners, legislators, parks and other public places across the globe to help design and implement smarter lighting solutions that encourage and highlight the natural star lit possibilities.

What does the IDSA do?

In 2001, the IDSA created the International Dark Sky Places Program (IDSP) which was established to encourage different places across the world to protect the magic of dark skies. The program helps these places create responsible lighting while offering resources to the public on the importance of viewing the night sky in all of its glory. These Dark Sky Places range from National Parks and Campgrounds to different observatories and other special locations around the world that offer pretty spectacular star gazing opportunities. As of May 2019, there are 115 certified International Dark Sky Places across the globe. Many of these locations are set in beautiful landscapes during the day but at night, the celestial beauty of each reveals itself.

The IDSP has 6 different designations for Dark Sky Places, each offering a unique and varied experience for the visitor.

• International Dark Sky Parks are typically State or National Parks around the world that offer large swaths of land that are exceptional for star viewing. These lands can be public or private but are protected long term for conservation due to their natural beauty and unique characteristics.

• International Dark Sky Reserves are varying public and private lands that offer great star gazing opportunities and are already protected areas due to their natural, scientific, cultural or educational importance. These reserves are usually created by a group of land owners who recognize the importance of the area.

• International Dark Sky Communities are developed towns, communities, or cities that demonstrate the intent to persevere the beauty of the night sky and are committed to educating the public while implementing responsible lighting throughout the area in which they reside. These communities commit to spreading the star-gazing good word and offer resources for residents and visitors alike.

• International Dark Sky Sanctuaries are similar to Dark Sky Reserves in that they are public and private lands protected for their significant importance. Dark Sky Sanctuaries are usually remote locations that offer truly superb star gazing opportunities. These locations are often hard to get to and less visited and are used by scientists and astronomers to make new discoveries and conduct research.

• Dark Sky Friendly Developments of Distinction are basically certain neighborhoods and subdivisions within a town, city or other developed area that are planned out with the night sky in mind. These areas are built with better lighting and other key factors to encourage better viewing of the night sky for the residents of the area.

• Urban Night Sky Places are areas within larger cities or urban areas, such as parks, observatories and open spaces, that are created and designed to encourage better night sky viewing in the middle of places that usually have high amounts of light pollution. They are not nearly as great of locations to view the stars but often provide some of the best possibilities for viewing in an urban environment.

The International Dark Sky Association has placed these special designations on many wondrous locations across the globe, all worth a visit if you live nearby and many worth a special trip to see the stars as nature intended. With a rapidly growing human population and urban areas expanding at an increasing rate, the work that the IDSA conducts is of vast importance to future generations. Please support and visit these locations if you have ever smiled in amazement at the beauty of a shooting star so that many more people can enjoy that feeling for years to come.