www.IDAHODARKSKY.org – Frank Church, U.S. Senator U.S. Church, Frank – The Dark Side of Light Pollution star-studded summer sky.” sky.” summer star-studded an Idaho mountainside under a a under mountainside Idaho an Energy – According to the U.S Department of Energy, about 35% of light is wasted by unshielded and poorly spending the night in the open on on open the in night the spending aimed lighting. That amounts to $3.3 billion and 21 million self important in the morning after after morning the in important self tons of carbon dioxide per year. “I never knew a man who felt felt who man a knew never “I Heritage – Humans throughout history have looked up at the natural night sky with awe and curiosity. The starry sky has provided navigation assistance, spurred scientific endeavors, and inspired artists, poets, and stargazers. YOU CAN HELP MINIMIZE LIGHT POLLUTION Welcome to The good news about light pollution is that it is easier to resolve than other forms of pollution. You can literally just the Central Idaho Very Bad Bad Better Best flip a switch to make a difference! 1. Inspect the lighting around your home. Turning off Dark Sky Reserve! e’ve all learned about land, water, and air unnecessary lights reduces light pollution, saves you money, PHOTO PETER BY LOVERA pollution but have you ever thought about light and cuts energy use. W ere in the heart of central Idaho, we celebrate our pollution? The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) pristine night sky as part of our heritage and a treasure website defines light pollution as the inappropriate or H worth preserving for our children and future generations. excessive use of manmade light and explains some surprising consequences linked to the increasing light Whether you use your eyes or binoculars or a telescope, you pollution in our world. will find it is truly humbling to view planets, the Milky Way, meteors, comets, and even deep sky objects. Some common types of light pollution include glaring or bright lights that impair our eyesight and actually make it Across the country, more than 80 percent of people reside harder to see objects directly in the glare. Light trespass in cities and urban areas where light pollution dilutes and occurs when light intended for one purpose impacts Light Trespass Light where needed distorts their view of the stars. Research shows the Milky adjacent places or people. The familiar sky glow that Way is hidden from view of more than one-third of the lights up the sky over cities and brightly lit businesses is 2. Use dark-sky friendly lighting at your home and world’s population. business. Install fixtures or shields that direct light another example of light pollution. downward on areas that need illumination, thereby limiting The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve is a treasured resource light trespass, glare, and up-lighting into the night sky. for local residents and for all Idahoans and visitors from THE EFFECTS OF LIGHT POLLUTION Choose bulbs for outdoor lights that provide warm white across the world who come to experience the wonder Human health – Excessive artificial light at night affects light with a yellow glow rather than cool blue light. of the starry night sky. The Reserve is the result of a our circadian rhythm, the biological clock that guides our 3. Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors. You collective commitment by communities, public land managers, daily routine to sleep, wake, and eat. Living with constant can find resources on our website to help in your efforts to and private landowners to support the dark sky experience. light increases risks for obesity, depression, sleep disorders, encourage and educate others about light pollution. diabetes, breast cancer, and more. 4. Advocate for a lighting ordinance in your town or Remember to look up at the stars and Wildlife – Many creatures including amphibians, birds, area. Contact your local government to see if there is an not down at your feet. Try to make mammals, insects, and plants are affected by artificial existing ordinance or how you can help them explore options. sense of what you see, wonder about light. It disturbs sleep patterns, affects pollination, and Want more information? Check out www.darksky.org/ what makes the universe exist. interferes with reproduction lighting/lighting-basics/ Dr. Stephen Hawking, Theoretical Physicist Source: www.lightpollution.it/worldatlas/pages COEUR D’ALENE 90 LEWISTON n R Salmo iv er PHOTO BY NILS RIBI SALMON MCCALL 93 CHALLIS The FIRST STANLEY 75 93 15 Artificial night sky brightness in the mid 1970s Artificial night sky brightness in 1997 21 International Dark Sky SUN VALLEY KETCHUM IDAHO BOISE 20 FALLS Reserve in the U.S. 84 POCATELLO 75 r e TWIN FALLS iv ake R Central Idaho and the Reserve Sn he International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) designated 84 15 the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve in December he Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve encompasses T Learn about the Night Sky with our 2017, the twelfth such reserve worldwide. IDA awarded www.IDAHODARKSKY.org 906,000 acres (1,416 square miles) most of which is T Partners! the area Gold Tier status, their highest ranking for night sky #idahodarksky public lands within the Sawtooth National Forest. The quality. For more information about other Dark Sky Re- Reserve includes portions of Blaine, Boise, Custer and Sawtooth Interpretive & Historical Association (SIHA) is based in Stanley in the heart of the Reserve and operates serves, go to www.darksky.org. PARTNERS Elmore counties, the communities of Stanley, Lower Stanley, Smiley Creek, Ketchum and Sun Valley. Central the Redfish Visitor Center and Stanley Museum. SIHA The designation represents nearly two decades of planning G A N D P R I N O T offers activities for children and adults during the summer V E R C E T Idaho constitutes one of the last large ‘pools’ of natural S I E N efforts and policy decisions by city and county leaders, local R G P IDAHO nighttime darkness left in the United States. months including star parties, Jr Ranger programs and a businesses and organizations, and public land managers. CONSERVATION lecture series. (www.discoversawtooth.org) Working together, these partners continue to focus on LEAGUE The Reserve has as its core parts of three designated preserving the quality of the night-time environment and wilderness areas and is situated in the spectacular scenery Sawtooth Botanical Garden, south of Ketchum, hosts A 2 U G 9 7 U S T 2 2 , 1 reducing the impact of light pollution in the area. of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (NRA). periodic night sky programs throughout the year ranging The designation of the Reserve is a particularly good fit from astrophotography to constellation mythology. Through our combined efforts, we are working to: within the recreation area, as it supports the area’s (www.sbgarden.org) enabling legislation. • Preserve and enhance the natural nighttime experience Local Astronomy Clubs and Societies to improve quality of life. In 1972, Congress established the 756,000-acre Sawtooth Boise Astronomical Society www.boiseastro.org • Highlight the economic benefits associated with dark sky NRA with the passage of Public Law 92-400 which sought Idaho Falls Astronomical Society www.ifastro.org compliant lighting—from energy savings to tourism revenue. to preserve and protect the Area’s “natural, scenic, historic, Magic Valley Astronomical Society www.mvastro.org pastoral, and fish and wildlife values and to provide for the • Conserve our robust nocturnal ecosystems and support the needs of wildlife. enhancement of the recreation values associated therewith.” For my part I know nothing with Preserving the natural night sky complements all of these • Enhance local scientific and educational opportunities values and contributes to the solitude and primitive quality any certainty but the sight of through astronomy and other natural studies. of the associated Wilderness areas. the stars makes me dream. • Promote our dark skies as a unique community asset and ©2018 Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve Vincent van Gogh, Artist part of our local and national heritage Cover photo by Ed Cannady 21 Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve 75 To Challis, Salmon Ketchum 4 Suggested Dark Sky r C 3 www.idahodarksky.org 2 Viewing Sites o w OA D d Park Cr R ea Overlook V N 1 a You can get a good view of the night A Dark Sky City O M l Sunbeam l Y e N Elk Mtn y Clayton sky from mostA places within the C r Stanley 5 r R C C Reserve. TheseA are a few easy to Chamber C r r P k R l e e S Spar WILLOW E B k 75 S e Stanley l a lmo v o n i r Mtn CREEK i Salmo R access viewing sites. D k n Riv Museum g u E er C r n o R SUMMIT g k D C y Stanley C h e Y Dickey Elk r r n A a a e e CORRAL r C Lower s Peak O o v SawtoothC National Forest C Lake G R C r Lake n i a HORSE r k k r i U Stanley n e r S n C s e e D C o e e a G t p a B a BASIN L e r S Recreation Sites e e Potaman THE PAINT N C a A C k I m r d C n 21 r l l C i C R Peak POT s H e r o u O McGown C S a Stanley l h P t n p Anderson - H c S t CECIL D.