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July 8 2016
Warrumbungles National Park in Central Western NSW has been left in the dark — but no-one's complaining.
The area, home to the Siding Spring Observatory, has been declared Australia's first Dark Sky Park, a move that recognises its pristine night sky.
Warrumbungle National Park has a reputation as an outstanding place to view the stars unfettered by the light pollution that affects Australia's cities.
The nearby Siding Spring Observatory takes advantage of these conditions to play a critical role in Australian astronomical research.
Now the park's dark sky qualities will be protected thanks to $100,000 in funding from the NSW Government to control light pollution.
The State Government has enacted new planning legislation that requires the use of sky-friendly lighting in the area.
The Australian Astronomical Observatory's (AAO) Professor Fred Watson led the nomination for the park to be declared Australia's first Dark Sky Park.
He was delighted with the decision, saying it would give central western NSW the chance to demonstrate the benefits of dark skies and the use of sky-friendly lighting.
"It's important we plan to protect the park's dark sky qualities from light pollution now and into the future," Professor Watson said. "And the recognition of the Dark Sky Park provides an opportunity to publicise the benefits of good lighting, not just for astronomers but for everyone."
Warrumbungle National Park joins other international parks such as Death Valley National Park in the United States and Galloway Forest Park in Scotland as officially designated Dark Sky Parks.
Astronomy hinges on collecting and analysing light that has travelled from galaxies, stars, nebulae and planets to Earth.
This radiation can travel from billions of light years away, and on the final legs of its journey is distorted by the Earth’s atmosphere.
While some of this disturbance can’t be avoided (like clouds), other factors such as light pollution can and should be reduced.
When Siding Spring was chosen as an observatory site, it was partly because of how dark the skies were in the immediate area.
To help preserve the dark skies, regulations were put in place, restricting the lighting used in nearby towns and buildings within 100 km of the observatory.
Over the years, light pollution from cities, coalfields and sportsgrounds has changed the night horizon dramatically. The bright glow created adversely affects astronomers, but can also disorient migratory birds and disrupt animal reproductive cycles.
Only the town of Coonabarabran, which has strong ties to the observatory, has had no increase in their sky-glow, reflecting the goodwill of the residents and the success of the Siding Spring Dark Skies Committee.
https://www.aao.gov.au/public/dark-skies
Wow! I only just heard about on the telly tonight!
