DARK SKY PARKS

DARK SKY PARKS

 A dark sky park is an area designed around a park or 

observatory that restricts artifi cial light pollution.

 On January 11, 2024, the Pench Tiger Reserve 

(PTR) in Maharashtra was designated as India’s 

fi rst International Dark Sky Park, certifi ed by the 

International Dark-Sky Association.

 It was the fi fth such park in Asia with an aim to 

protect the night sky and promote astronomy.

 The global night sky has been getting 10 per cent 

brighter every year over the past decade. This excessive 

or inappropriate use of outdoor artifi cial light is 

aff ecting human health, wildlife behaviour, and our 

ability to observe stars and other celestial objects.

 Light pollution refers to artifi cial light that alters the natural patterns of light and dark in 

ecosystems.

 Types of light pollution:

 For example, glare, which is a disruptive light that shines horizontally.

 Light trespass, which is the unwanted shining of light onto nearby areas.Sky glows more than 80 per cent of the world’s population, and 99 percent of Americans and 

Europeans live under sky glow.

 Apart from the PTR Dark Sky Park, India also hosts its fi rst sky preserve with the Indian 

Astronomical Observatory (IAO), a high-altitude astronomy station located in Hanle, 

Ladakh.