The International Dark Sky (IDS), a non-profit member organization, dedicated to teaching others how to preserve the night sky, with environmentally responsible outdoor lighting, factsheets, law references, pictures, and web resources, adds a new star park.

The three-tier gold, silver and bronze designation chart above explains the requirements for night sky parks. Gold represents the highest award representing the darkest skies, followed by the Silver and Bronze designations.

The International Dark Sky (IDS) announces the acceptance of a new Dark Sky Park; the Goldendale Observatory outside of Goldendale, Washington, which recently received a full-status silver-tier designation.

In 2010 the park was given provisional status as an IDS Park in part for its efforts in providing education about astronomy, telescopes, the space program, and the importance of truly dark skies to its many visitors.

After fulfilling requirements for documentation of night sky quality, IDA added Goldendale Observatory as a full-fledged International Dark Sky Park with a silver-tier night sky quality.

A silver-tier designation requires visual limiting magnitude to be 6.0 to 6.7 under clear skies and good conditions and the uniherdron sky quality meter to be 21.00 or above.

According to the IDA guidelines the observable sky phenomena states, "Brighter sky phenomena can be regularly viewed, with fainter ones sometimes visible. Milky Way is visible in summer and winter."

Goldendale Observatory State Park is home to one of the nation's largest public telescopes and acts as the primary night sky interpretive site in the Washington State Parks System.

Stephen Stout, manager of the observatory, says, "I am very pleased that Goldendale Observatory State Park has been named as an International Dark Sky Park. My efforts to preserve a small part of land on Earth where visitors may come and gaze up in wonder and appreciate a dark and star-filled sky have been finally recognized. The local community will benefit from the Dark Sky Park status as more dark sky tourists from around the world learn of this place through the IDA and use the local hospitality services."

Bob Parks, IDA Executive Director, welcomes the observatory's full-status saying; "It's great to have Goldendale Observatory officially join the ranks as a Dark Sky Park. Their skies and educational programs are a priceless resource. Goldendale's proximity to a big city means that many people have the chance to easily enjoy their programs and appreciate the value of a dark sky."

For more information about IDS, IDSPlaces conservation, or regular astronomy and dark sky awareness events please visit darksky.org.

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