New Zealand home to largest International Dark Sky Reserve
14th June 2012
The South Island's incredible night sky has been recognised with 'Gold' status by the International Dark Sky Association
New Zealand's South Island has become home to the world's largest International Dark Sky Reserve. As the fourth such reserve in the world, The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve will comprise The Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park and the Mackenzie Basin totalling over 1,600 square miles of the country's South Island.
The announcement, made by the International Dark-Sky Association at the opening of the Third International Starlight Conference – a UN-led initiative to emphasise the common heritage of the star-filled night sky – confirms the area as one of the world's top stargazing spots.
International Dark-Sky Associationʼs Executive Director Bob Parks says: “The new reserve is coming in at a ʻGoldʼ level status. That means the skies there are almost totally free from light pollution. To put it simply, it is one of the best stargazing sites on Earth.”
The creation of the reserve recognises and seeks to protect the Maori history of the area. The native people, who were the first to reside there, used the night sky to navigate the island. It was so integral to the way of life that astronomy and star lore became part of their culture and daily lives.
This latest International Dark Sky Reserve designation is expected to draw stargazers from all over the world to the Canterbury area, boosting the region's local tourism economy. The local community has been working on this initiative since 2006 but it was in the early 1980s that outdoor lighting controls were first instigated in the area.
The UK was awarded its first Dark Sky Park back in 2009 with Galloway Forest in south-west Scotland receiving the status.
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