Southern skies get starlight reserve status

[BPO]

New dark sky reserve confirmed (http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/7074544/Southern-skies-get-starlight-reserve-status).

[inline_online]

Excellent news for Kiwi's. There needs to be a lot more of it. Maybe we can get one for Perth:rofl:

[Blue Skies]

Well done to them! But they do have the advantage of being surrounded by mountains to start with. I hope to get there one day, I hear its a very nice area.

[BPO]

My own mountaintop observatory is around 58km SSW of Mount John and Lake Tekapo village, at an elevation of almost 2,000m. It is just outside the newly protected area. I attach a couple of pictures captured tonight by my all-sky camera. If the starlight reserve can make the sky even darker I'll be thrilled and impressed.

http://www.observatory.org.nz/temp/latest_pano_full.jpg

http://www.observatory.org.nz/temp/latest_full.jpg

[mikerr]

Now this is the spirit we need....:sadeyes:

Brian #4 11:03 pm Jun 10 2012

Oh great so now we all have to shiver in the dark so that some greenie egghead extremists can stare at dots in the sky.

Michael.

[andyc]

This is lovely news. Visited Mt John last year - nice place, friendly people, cool observatory, great scenery! :thumbsup: The third dark sky site is back home in Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, but it'll do well to get anywhere near the darkness of Tekapo. And if some people cannot understand the value of energy efficiency - saving money by directing light downwards where it is useful rather than up/sideways where it is utterly wasted, that is their problem.

[Stardrifter_WA]

True that! :D