Northumberland Dark Sky Reserve could be third largest in the world (hortweek.com)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Sarah Cosgrove Tuesday, 16 July 2013

A plan to create the world's third largest area of protected dark sky in Northumberland could create a 400 square-mile mecca for stargazers.

Northumberland National Park Authority and Kielder Water and Forest Park Development Trust are consulting on securing dark sky status from the International Dark Skies Association (IDA), based in Tucson, USA.

England’s first Dark Sky Park would be Europe’s largest and would be committed to reducing light pollution and getting the public interested in dark skies.

Worldwide there are only 12 such preserves, including the two largest in Big Bend National Park, Texas, and Mount Megantic in Quebec, Canada.

Director of the Kielder Water and Development Trust Elisabeth Rowark said: "Northumberland is a magical place both by night and day. Dark Sky status would allow us to protect, cherish and promote our natural nightscapes."
***
more: http://www.hortweek.com/Landscape/article/1191384/Northumberland-Dark-Sky-Reserve-third-largest-world/
http://www.darksky.org/component/content/article?id=86

[defacto7]

1. Big K&R

[Victor_c3]

2. I was not aware of the problems of light pollution until I got a telescope a few years back

It made me think of when I was a kid and I could look up at the sky at night and see the milkyway. Now I can't look up and see the milkyway at all. It is a shame that my kids will probably never get to experience that. It has just kind of disappeared and nobody really noticed.