The Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina have stood as silent witnesses to the uninterrupted, nightly rain of starlight for nearly a half-billion years, but artificial light now threatens this nightly show. In honor of notable local efforts to preserve the natural nighttime landscape of western North Carolina, the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) announced today it has designated the first International Dark Sky Park in the southeastern United States. In recognizing the Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park, IDA is pleased to acknowledge the work of Mayland Community College (MCC) in preserving a threatened dark-sky location while advancing its educational mission and vision of bringing the experience of primeval night to locals and visitors alike.

A Park of Many Firsts

While each dark sky site recognized by IDA offers its own particular set of features, Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park has several unique characteristics among the 29 worldwide Dark Sky Places. It is the first program participant:

• located in the southeastern United States;
• operated under the auspices of an institution of higher learning; and
• whose outdoor lighting consists entirely of fully-shielded, low-color-temperature light emitting diode (LED) fixtures at the time the IDA award is conferred.

Dr. John Boyd, President of MCC, anticipates significant benefits to the community from locating the telescope under the dark skies at Blue Ridge Star Park.  “This entirely public observatory will offer evening and late night viewing through the largest public telescope in the southeast,” Boyd said. “Our observing programs will provide an interesting, affordable, and educational family outing for the people of western North Carolina and the region.”

Identifying the Star Park for potential IDA recognition began soon after MCC assumed management of the site in 2013. MCC, ranked among the top community colleges in the United States, plans to situate an observatory on the property featuring a state-of-the-art 34-inch (0.87-meter) telescope it will dedicate to educational and public outreach activities. The Samuel L. Phillips Family Foundation, a local nonprofit organization, provided funding for fabrication of the telescope’s main mirror.

About the IDA Dark Sky Places Program

IDA established the International Dark Sky Places conservation program in 2001 to recognize excellent stewardship of the night sky. Designations are based on stringent out-door lighting standards and innovative community outreach. Since the program began, six Communities, 15 parks and eight reserves have received International Dark Sky designations. For more information about the International Dark Sky Places Program, visit http://darksky.org/night-sky-conservation/dark-sky-places.

About IDA

The International Dark Sky Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Tucson, Arizona, advocates for the protection of the nighttime environment and dark night skies by educating policymakers and the public on the subject of night sky conservation and by promoting environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. More information about IDA and its mission may be found at http://www.darksky.org.

Inquiries:

International Dark-Sky Association • Dr. John Barentine (Dark Sky Places Program Manager) [email protected]; +1 520 293 3198

Mayland Community College • Mr. Jon Wilmesherr (Director of Learning Resources Center and Distance Education) [email protected]; +1 828 766 1360