The starry night sky or the milky way is a beauty. I wonder how many people have the luxury and scenery to really gaze at this beauty intently but there are many things you are told of, if you intentionally lay on your back, out in the dark to intently look at it. 

There is so much beauty in creation and a starry night sky definitely holds its own when it come to gracefulness and majesty. 

One way of learning about our awe-inspiring creator Jehovah, is by means of his creation!

Is There Anything Like Light Pollution?

In modern-day cities it becomes increasingly difficult to see the night sky in its utmost beauty as there is something called "light pollution". Hahaha, the "too many" lights in Urban environments, tends to artificially illuminate the sky, stealing away from its extensive beauty!

Ultimately, to see the night sky in its full beauty, you will need to be somewhere that is extremely dark and this being discovered, led to the creation of International Dark Sky Parks.

 

How Much Of The Night Sky Do We Really See?

A 2016 study found that in 80% of North America and 60% of Europe, you can't see the Milky Way at all because of the light pollution.

Light pollution may seem to me and you as something negligible but it does have massive impact on even nature itself. Yes, artificial lights or light pollution so to speak, have been seen to alter insect behavior, disrupt bird migration and plants' seasonal cycles. Ofcourse, in this case, it is obvious that it also affect night-sky-gazers. 

On a clear, dark night without many artificial lights around, there are many extra features of our galaxy, the Milky Way, that can be seen from Earth; from the variation of star sizes, to the beautiful band created by the brightest stars as they align themselves from one horizon to the other.

Hence, The International Dark-Sky Association; a nonprofit organization was created, to curb light pollution worldwide and one way they have accomplished this, is by setting up <>International Dark Sky Parks (IDSPs) in places round the world, specifically protected from light pollution, to maintain their starry nights in their true lighting and maintain sufficient darkness for the nocturnal environment, not only to benefit regular night gazers, but also for the benefit of scientists, educators etc who devote careers to studying space.

 

Are International Dark Parks For Everyone?

If you have never fully experienced the milky way galaxy in its fullest majesty, then you should certainly want to visit nearly 50 IDSPs locations worldwide. Well, if you are in USA, it gets easier: "more than a dozen of these parks are located in the United States". Amazingly too, many of these parks are a beauty to behold even during the day. — See some of these famous parks below:

Grand Canyon

Death Valley

Big Bend National Park

When visiting the above parks in the pitch dark of night, the right gear is essential. It is recommended to use flashlights or overhead lamps that emit red light instead of white light. This is because in a really dark scenery, the eyes become adapted to the darkness and the light-sensitive nerve in eyes becomes sensitive to white light, which pollutes the whole Milky way experience. 

The commonly known Storm Headlamp, is just a good example of the right lamp. It offers just enough lighting, to maneuver your way in these dark terrains as it can can emit both white, red, green, and blue light individually and with some AAA size Duracell batteries, you are good to go!

Ofcourse, night-sky beholders have varying opinions about which is better: telescope vs binoculars. Basically, a telescope allows the use of one eye and binoculars let you use two but here is additional insight from International Dark-Sky Association: "In some cases, Binoculars resolve an object in the sky better than a telescope". 

Overall, jut the perfect lighting for moving around and a telescope or binoculars, is all that is essential to have the best star-gazing experience in these parks.

Don't forget to put out all lights, when your stargazing begins!

All additional article sources/credit to: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9

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