Dark Sky Week promoted by the National Park

It is International Dark Sky Week. So what does that mean for us in The Yorkshire Dales National Park?

This International Dark Sky Week The Yorkshire Dales National Park is encouraging everyone to discover the night, by stepping outside and experiencing the night sky where you live, and to find out more about the National Park's Dark Sky The Yorkshire Dales is home to some of the darkest skies in the country. Here in the Dales, we are proud to have large areas of unpolluted night sky where it’s possible to see the Milky Way, planets, meteors and even the Northern Lights. 

This is one of the special qualities of the Yorkshire Dales, and why it's gained international recognition as an official Dark Sky Reserve, which will help raise awareness, conserve and celebrate this special quality.

An International Dark Sky Reserve is a designated area of public/private land possessing exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural, heritage and/or public enjoyment. Dark Sky Reserves are designated by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA)

The whole of the Yorkshire Dales National Park has been designated a Dark Sky Reserve, the largest in the UK, with the core area comprising a large arc of land around (but not including) Hawes. It covers the upper ends of Swaledale, Rawthey valley, Garsdale, Littondale and Wharfedale (30% of the National Park).  Within the core area, residential lighting is already 90% dark sky friendly, so the majority of existing lighting is IDA-compliant, with the level of compliance higher than many of the Dark Skies Reserves already designated in the UK.

What happens now we have become a Dark Sky Reserve? Will it mean more restrictions? Dark Sky Reserve status doesn’t mean less lighting, it means thinking about good lighting!

Find out more here.