Stars over Big Bend National Park. Photo by Tyler Nordgren

Big Bend National Park in Texas was recently designated as an International Dark Sky Park, one of now just ten in the world. Big Bend National Park (BBNP) came in at the ‘Gold Tier’ level, meaning that the skies above the park are free from all but the most minor impacts of light pollution. Measurements by the National Park Service Night Sky Team show that the Big Bend Region offers the darkest measured skies in the lower 48 states making it a worthy jewel to the worldwide crown of dark sky oases recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA).

Located in the southwest of Texas on the Mexican border, clear skies, temperate nights and miles of undeveloped space in the vast and remote Chihuahuan Desert provide an unforgettable stargazing experience. The area is within 150 miles of the McDonald Observatory, a recognized astronomy haven.

Regional efforts to protect the night sky have made tremendous gains in recent years, with towns such as Alpine and Van Horn passing strict lighting ordinances. Active efforts by city councils and astronomy enthusiasts supported the dark sky movement. In 2009, the development of Sierra la Rana successfully promoted the area’s beautiful night skies to homebuyers thereby earning them ‘Development of Distinction’ honors from IDA. This award is given to small communities that have moved to preserve their environment from unnecessary light at night.

The park has created park lighting guidelines and has upgraded nearly every outdoor light fixture. Upgrades were made possible by a Best Practices grant from Musco Lighting. This type of partnership between business and national parks has never been done before. The exterior lights all conform to minimum lighting guidelines, and the park’s lighting energy use has dropped by a jaw-dropping 98%.

The park’s ongoing outreach efforts are designed to teach visitors about the importance of protecting the night sky. The natural darkness of the park offers “seeing” opportunities valuable for gathering scientific data and for exposure to a rare and breathtaking view of the cosmos. BBNP’s stargazing program is held frequently throughout the year with activities such as night hikes, telescope viewing, and sessions  on night sky preservation.

In 2012, there will be a K-12 education program via the Teacher Ranger Teacher program that will focus on “the significance of darkness, its influence on the earth and its importance to our understanding of life.” Sky quality monitoring since 2003 has taken advantage of the near virgin skies to create baseline measurements of actual sky brightness vs. anthropogenic light (light pollution) as well as measure differences in air quality.

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