Waterton-Glacier becomes first ‘International Dark Sky Park’

Milky Way over Logan Pass in Glacier National Park - NPS, Jacob W. Frank
Milky Way over Logan Pass in Glacier National Park – NPS, Jacob W. Frank

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was just named the first trans-boundary International Dark Sky Park. Below is the lead-in from the Flathead Beacon’s article on the subject, but also check out the links following it for some spectacular photos . . .

Eighty percent of the United States’ population lives in an area where they can’t see a true dark sky. Around the globe, thanks to light pollution, only one-third of humanity can look up at the sky at night and clearly see the Milky Way.

For Glacier National Park interpretive ranger Lee Rademaker, that means every time the park prepares to host a night sky viewing, “we’re about to blow two-thirds of these people’s minds.”

For years, Glacier and nearby Waterton Lake National Park have been touting their dark night sky as another critical natural resource, just as important as glaciers or goats. On April 28, officials from the United States and Canada gathered at West Glacier to celebrate Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park being named the first trans-boundary International Dark Sky Park.

Read more . . .

Also see . . .
Glacier Park’s “Night Sky” page
In Search of America’s Darkest Skies (24 Photos)