News Release Date: June 17, 2019 Contact: Becky Latanich, 928-638-7958 Contact: Rader Lane, 928-638-7641 Grand Canyon, AZ – The National Park Service and the International Dark Sky Association are pleased to announce that Grand Canyon National Park has received its official International Dark Sky Park certification.To celebrate this milestone and kick off the 29th Annual Star … Other dark sky parks in Colorado include: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, and Hovenweep National Monument. The skies above Jackson Lake State Park in northwestern Colorado have earned the park an International Dark Sky Park designation. 1. Lake City is the sole town in Hinsdale County, the most remote county in the lower 48 states. If approved, Colorado’s proposed 3,000-square-mile Sangre de Cristo International Dark Sky Reserve would be the world’s largest dark-sky designated area. Voyageurs National Park, Voyageurs Conservancy, and the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) are pleased to announce the certification of Voyageurs National Park as an International Dark Sky Park. Four additional parks (and seven total locations) throughout Colorado boast this distinction, including the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, and others. Jackson Lake State Park. Norwood is now part of 22 International Dark Sky Communities around the world, 15 of which are in the US, with others being in Canada, Denmark, Germany, Scotland, and the U.K. The Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction . Westcliffe and Silver Cliff are Colorado’s only certified Dark Sky Communities. The Town is presently working on a certification from the International Dark Sky … Representing a small community in southwestern Colorado, Norwood is one of the most ideal places to gaze up at the stars because it sits on Wright's Mesa at 7000 ft in the high desert. Tonto National Monument outside of Phoenix, Arizona, was also named a Dark Sky Park on May 7, a few days before the Great Sand Dunes National Park earned the classification. Located in Morgan County, Jackson Lake State Park has long attracted amateur astronomers and is also home to a Celestron telescope – an automated telescope that allows users to easily find what they're looking for. The other International Dark Sky Parks in Colorado are the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, the Great Sand Dunes National Park … A dark-sky preserve (DSP), also known as a dark sky reserve, is an area, usually surrounding a park or observatory, that restricts artificial light pollution.The purpose of a dark sky preserve is generally to promote astronomy.. Because different national organizations have worked independently to create their programs, different terms have been used to describe the areas. 255 likes. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has awarded International Dark Sky Park status to Jordanelle, Kodachrome Basin, and Rockport State Parks. International Dark-Sky Association - Colorado Chapter. To become an IDA International Dark Sky Community the town or city must adhere to strict implementation and enforcement of a quality outdoor lighting ordinance, like adding shielding units to outdoor lights so that light is being directed down and not up. Three new International Dark Sky Parks in Utah! This national park is the dark-sky site for many astronomy events hosted by the park and by the Western Colorado Astronomy Club. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), a nonprofit that works to preserve dark skies and combat light pollution, has identified close to 100 locations worldwide for their pristine sky-scapes, and six are located right here in the Centennial State. We are the 1st in Colorado, 9th in the world, and the highest anywhere. Located about 90 minutes from Denver in western Morgan County, Jackson Lake is the 19th state park in the country to receive the designation but the only state park in Colorado. 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/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." Hovenweep International Dark Sky Park consists of 785 acres (318 hectares) of federal lands divided among six non-contiguous park units along the Utah-Colorado border in the ‘Four Corners’ region of the American Southwest. The Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado has been officially designated as an International Dark Sky Park. A sign at a campsite in Jackson Lake State Park marks the park as an International Dark Sky Park. Located about a hour … In addition to planning special trips to visit Dark Sky Parks and Reserves, we should all join the International Dark Sky Association. Thankfully, the International Dark-Sky Association is working to combat the problem. MORGAN COUNTY — The skies above Jackson Lake State Park in northeastern Colorado have earned the park an International Dark Sky Park designation. The Colorado chapter of the International Dark-sky Association promotes better lighting in the state, to help humans and the environment. These 27 national parks have all earned designations as International Dark Sky Parks and Sanctuaries. On 18 September, Canyonlands and the Friends of Arches and Canyonlands Parks group will host a public ceremony and astronomy event at Island in the Sky. Congratulations to Utah State Parks & Recreation! Jackson Lake State Park near Fort Morgan in northeastern Colorado is one of the most scenic places to watch the Colorado sky. In 2020, The Slumgullion Center was designated an International Dark-Sky Association Park, adding to the growing list of Colorado’s IDA Places. Working to protect the night skies for present and future generations. Places To Go. Another Colorado park is in the process of putting together a dark skies application with the International Dark-Sky Association. IDA provides education about what individuals can do to improve our own lighting*, and advocates for local, regional, national, and international policies to restore a natural dark sky. With its large, glassy surface, the lake acts as the perfect mirror for the Milky Way. Norwood is the first International Dark-Sky Association “Dark Sky Community” on the Western Slope of Colorado and the second Dark Sky Community in the Colorado. Utah has more dark sky state parks than any other state park … Colorado’s newest addition to the Dark Sky Places list is also the only one east of Interstate 25. It has more than 149,164 acres of dunes, wetlands, grasslands, forests and alpine tundra, which offer an array of opportunities to view the night sky and to explore the park after dark … Jackson Lake State Park recently became the only designated "international dark sky park" in Colorado found east of I-25. The International Dark-Sky Association has certified 43 places in the U.S. (from Pennsylvania to California) with a “dark sky” rating. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains shelter the park from the lights of the Front Range cities, and the … It is exceptionally dark and friendly. It was named an International Dark Sky Park in 2020, making it the first Colorado State Park to hold the coveted designation. This certification recognizes Voyageurs National Park for the exceptional quality of its dark night skies and for the park’s commitment to preserving darkness and educating the … Made up of 96 percent public lands, it's an ideal location for watching the night sky and leaving civilization behind. Dark Skies, Inc. of the Wet Mountain Valley led the effort for the towns of Silver Cliff and Westcliffe to be certified as an IDA International Dark Sky Community in March 2015! Dinosaur National Monument on the Utah-Colorado border received the honor on April 22.. Appointed by the International Dark Sky Association, an IDSP is protected and preserved land that encounters extraordinary starry nights. International Dark Sky Park Opens in Michigan; Only 9 Others in the World Why Dark Sky Tourism Is Catching On These 2 Towns Have Dimmed Their Lights to Show Off the Glorious Night Sky This distinction recognizes “an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment,” according to the International Dark-Sky Association. WHAT IS A DARK SKY PLACE? There are currently 115 certified International Dark Sky Places around the world—which also include Dark Sky Communities, … The national park was designated an International Dark Sky Park. With this designation as International Dark Sky Place, Big Cypress National Preserve now becomes the the first National Park Service (NPS) Unit east of Colorado to earn this designation and the 16 th NPS site in the country to do so. 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