Keynote Details

National Park Service’s Mission to Preserving the Natural Night Skies

Dr. Sharolyn Anderson
National Park Service - Natural Sounds & Night Skies
Natural Resource Stewardship and Science (NRSS)

Our heritage is imprinted with night skies which have served as a collective canvas for our stories, maps, traditions, beliefs, and discoveries. Some of the best places to experience the natural night skies and to stargaze in the United States are in national parks. However, light from park facilities and the cumulative glow of nearby towns and cities are diminishing this important natural and cultural resource. Therefore, NPS has a division which is dedicated to measuring, protecting, and restoring the natural night environments while providing quality visitor experiences. This talk explores how the NPS through NSNSD is doing this based in scientific research and working on natural night sky policies.