ST. GEORGE — Springdale reminds residents and visitors that artificial outdoor light causes light pollution, which can affect humans and animals. The town is promoting the importance of dark night skies during International Dark Skies Week April 2-8.

“The community really values the quality of our dark night skies and has made a commitment to protecting them as a resource for our residents and visitors and also for the health of the nocturnal wildlife in the area,” Thomas Dansie, Springdale community director, told St. George News.

Night skies are the darkest during the week of the new moon, according to the website Dark Sky Organization. International Dark Sky Week promotes solutions to light pollution and focuses on the beauty of natural light.

Dark Sky Week coincides with a total solar eclipse that crosses North America and over Mexico, the United States and Canada. April is also Global Astronomy Month. 

“There are a whole host of reasons why dark skies are important to the community,” Dansie said. “And in order to support those dark night skies and protect those dark skies, that’s why the town places an emphasis on quality outdoor lighting and control of outdoor light.” 

Springdale has been actively protecting the dark night sky for many years. Dansie said the first comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance was adopted in 2009. Since then, the town has revised the ordinance as technology has changed. 

“We’ve had to change our ordinance to keep up with the changing lighting technology,” Dansie said. “But it’s always about protecting the night sky. And the town has similarly had a goal of becoming a Certified International Dark Sky community for a long time.”

Town leaders place an emphasis on protecting dark night skies for many reasons, including the intrinsic quality of the night sky for stargazing and astronomy and the benefit to wildlife and the environment. 

“All these are reasons why the community values night skies and has prioritized the protection of our dark night skies, Dansie said. “And that’s why the town has adopted outdoor lighting ordinances that seek to regulate and control and promote quality outdoor lighting.”

The town of Springdale recently passed a proclamation for Dark Sky Week to be used as an educational tool. Dansie said town leaders wanted to inform and educate the community about the importance of dark night skies. He said the town will have daily social media messages and the community newsletter will have a night sky theme in April.

For convenience, safety, security or whatever lighting purpose residents need, Dansie said Springdale’s outdoor lighting ordinance emphasizes the most effective but environmentally-conscious approach.

“Our ordinance is for professional-quality outdoor lighting. And it just takes a little bit of thought on how you design your outdoor lighting. It’s not any more expensive,” Dansie said. “Dark night skies are such a fragile resource, and it just takes a little bit of lighting not well thought out or well planned to really impair the quality of the night sky for the entire community.”

 Jonathan Shafer, public affairs specialist at Zion National Park, said in an email to  St. George News that the park is a prime location to enjoy sights that are difficult to see in more developed areas.

“Zion is a great place to stargaze and enjoy the night sky. We are one of a small number of designated dark sky parks where visitors can see spectacular sights like the Milky Way and many different constellations,” Shafer said. “Many people associate Zion National Park with blue skies, towering red, orange and white cliffs, and plants by the banks of the Virgin River, but if you leave before the sun goes down, you’re missing out on the other half of Zion.”

Also celebrating International Dark Skies Week, Pipe Spring National Monument is hosting a Star Party on Wednesday, April 3, at 7 p.m. MST. Pipe Spring will have park rangers and members of the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians. They are also partnering with astronomers to deliver programs about the cultural importance of night skies, simple actions you can take to protect starry views and to help you explore the cosmos.

Pipe Spring was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2021 and is located on the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians Reservation, which was designated an International Dark Sky Community in 2015. The Kaibab Paiute Indian Reservation is a Dark Sky Nation and is the first Dark Sky Nation in the world.

Components of light pollution according to the International Night Organization include:

• Glare — excessive brightness that causes visual discomfort
• Sky glow — brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas
• Light trespass — light falling where it is not intended or needed
• Clutter — bright, confusing, and excessive groupings of light sources

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