Dark-sky preserve

A Dark Sky Preserve is a region where measures to control or eliminate light pollution are enforced.

The first preserve was established in Torrance Barrens in Ontario, Canada. Nevertheless, protection zones around observatories existed well before the creation of that preserve.

Because there are no established standards for a dark sky preserve, such designations are generally through self-proclamation. As a result, the validity of such a designation may be dubious. In some cases, dark sky preserves are neither dark, nor protected.

Conversely, some observatories are surrounded by protection zones where the light pollution is controlled, even if they are not designated as a dark sky preserve.

The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has recently recognised the world's first Dark Sky Reserve around Mont Mégantic, Québec.

List of Dark Sky Preserves

Name	Country	Area [ha]	Bortle Scale
Cypress Hills	Canada	39600	2
Elk Island	Canada	19200	4.5
Zselic	Hungary	9000+	??
Mont Mégantic	Canada	5845	3
Mount Kobau	Canada	4710	1-2
McDonald Park	Canada	2225	6
Torrance Barrens	Canada	1990	3
Lake Hudson State Recreational Area	USA	890	3
Potawatomi Wildlife Park	USA	116	4.5
Cherry Springs State Park	USA	20	3

List of Protection Zones around observatories

Name	Country	Radius [km]
McDonald Observatory	USA	92
Kitt Peak	USA	56
Mont Mégantic	Canada	50
Mount Palomar	USA	48
Mount Hopkins	USA	40
Monte Ekar	Italy	30
Asiago	Italy	30
Mount Laguna	USA	24
Observatoire de Haute-Provence	France	15
Ondřejov	Czech Republic	10
Klet	Czech Republic	10
Dominion Astrophysical Observatory	Canada	5

Other Protected Zones

Some regions are protected without any reference to an observatory or a park:

• Regions of Coquimbo, Atacama and Antofagasta in the northern Chile.
• Island of La Palma in Canaries
• The Big Island in Hawaii.