National Public Radio reported last week visitors come to west Texas to experience a vanishing natural resource: “some of the darkest nighttime skies in the world.” Reporting from McDonald Observatory and Davis Mountains State Park, NPR said July 1 astronomers and conservationists in the region have partnered with cities and counties on lighting ordinances to reduce light pollution. Oil and gas operators in nearby Permian Basin, a source of light pollution, also have adopted dark sky friendly lighting at drilling rigs and gas plants in west Texas.
NPR said 75,000 people visit the observatory each year. The Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve is the largest of its kind in the world (15,000 square miles). Research shows the night sky in North America is brighter every year. Researchers say you can see about 10 percent fewer stars than the year before. Stephen Hummel of McDonald Observatory told NPR, “You can’t study the stars if you can’t see them.”
Leave a Reply