Certification awarded for 2.5m acres offering pristine views of night sky, with hopes for expansion to 11m acres
With clear skies and sparse trees, the Oregon outback has long been regarded as a stargazers’ paradise. Now the region is home to the world’s largest dark sky sanctuary, offering pristine views of the night sky across 2.5m acres.
The Oregon outback international dark sky sanctuary received the certification this week, becoming the largest of 19 sites around the world with the same designation. The sanctuary covers Lake county in south-eastern Oregon, a remote area roughly half the size of New Jersey, and could eventually expand to include more than 11m acres.
The region’s skies are already among the darkest in the world, according to a statement from DarkSky International, and the certification will ensure the area remains protected.
It’s good to be cautious about nonprofit organizations, but in the case of DSI, they’ve been around a while, have a good reputation, and score well on third-party sites like Charity Navigator.
I’d also like to make clear that their Dark Sky Sanctuary certification isn’t a scientific one based solely on light pollution, but also that the local/state/etc governments have implemented certain policies to help ensure the area remains a dark sky area. It’s best to think of it akin to something like a designated “wilderness” or “wildlife sanctuary” area, but for starry skies. Because DSI works with governments to certify these areas, you’re right that certain regions are likely to be more represented, and some not represented at all due to geographic and political barriers.
P.S. I’m not affiliated with DSI, but have used their accreditations in the past to pick wilderness areas to visit for hiking/camping/photography.