Arches NP Certified as an International Dark Sky Park

[JimFox]

Arches National Park Certified as an International Dark Sky Park

MOAB, UT— The National Park Service and the International Dark-Sky Association are pleased to announce Arches National Park as an International Dark Sky Park, a place recognized for its quality night skies and a commitment to protecting and sharing natural darkness.

Park rangers from around the Colorado Plateau will host a ceremony and star party to celebrate on Sept. 21, 2019, at the newly completed Panorama Point stargazing area within the park. More details on this event will be available soon.


Read more at: https://www.nps.gov/arch/learn/news/news070519.htm

 

[ckcarr]

I had thought they already were.

Perhaps this is why they started implementing more restrictions on the light painting that was starting to get out of control there.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Good to hear Jim, I have noticed that it is pretty good seeing up in the park.

 

[MonikaC]

That's good news. Wonder if they'll have limitations on car headlights after dark?

 

[JimFox]

I had thought they already were.

Perhaps this is why they started implementing more restrictions on the light painting that was starting to get out of control there.

Yeah, that was probably a part of it.

 

[JimFox]

That's good news. Wonder if they'll have limitations on car headlights after dark?

That's an interesting idea. True headlamps do cause light pollution. I am not sure how they could have limits on it and still have safe driving though.

One thing I have noticed by being there on many occasions at night is that there are not many people driving there at night, most are during the day. And that the headlamps from the cars seem to be rather nicely hidden as lots of the roads seem to be running in folds of the land? Not sure, but I don't recall having headlights being a big deal to me out there.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Jim is correct arches at night after 10 or so is pretty dark when I have been there. But maybe when lots of night shooters start using it that may change. I might want to leave by midnight but others might stay until dawn

 

[MonikaC]

That's an interesting idea. True headlamps do cause light pollution. I am not sure how they could have limits on it and still have safe driving though.

One thing I have noticed by being there on many occasions at night is that there are not many people driving there at night, most are during the day. And that the headlamps from the cars seem to be rather nicely hidden as lots of the roads seem to be running in folds of the land? Not sure, but I don't recall having headlights being a big deal to me out there.

Jim is correct arches at night after 10 or so is pretty dark when I have been there. But maybe when lots of night shooters start using it that may change. I might want to leave by midnight but others might stay until dawn

Some years ago, when I went to shoot the lunar eclipse at Delicate Arch, I definitely had to be watching for headlights on the road. Not a lot, but since I was trying to shoot at specific intervals, I did have to do extra exposures at some points.