Ignoring These Light Pollution Rules When Stargazing And Camping In A DarkSky Location Could Ruin Your View

America is peppered with more official DarkSky reserves than you can shake NASA's James Webb Space Telescope at (but don't do that — it's currently orbiting the sun anyhow!). From the UV-scorched wastes of Death Valley in California all the way to the rust-red geology of Utah's Arches National Park, there are now 45 federal reserves with some form of dark sky certification. And it's not just the U.S., either. The remote mountains of the Bannau Brycheiniog in Wales are a haven for stargazers, too, while Southern Europe's first Dark Sky Community is on the charming Croatian island of Vis.

What unites every single DarkSky place out there, whether it's the famous Colorado ski town of Breckenridge or the remote ridges of Hehuan Mountain in central Taiwan, is that ambient light pollution is low. Very low. To become an official DarkSky Reserve, for example, a region must be able to prove a visual zenith luminance of 21.2 magnitudes per square arcsecond. In plain English, that's super-duper-dark. In fact, it's equivalent to about 4 on the Bortle Scale, which quantifies darkness on a nine-point ranking. New York City is generally a 9, just for comparison, while some DarkSky spots are even darker, rated 1 or 2.

The point is that the light that's around you has a direct impact on what stars and planets you'll be able to see when you head out. That's why anyone seeking visions of planets, stars, and galaxies should be sure to pay close attention to some important light pollution rules while gazing up at the night sky.

The rules are simple, really. There are just two. The main one can be summed up like this: Make sure you turn off or dim any sources of light that you have around you to minimize light pollution. That goes for everything, from the smallest LED on your cellphone right the way up to that spanking new camping lantern dangling overhead. Of course, managing lights might not always be in your power, so dodge any awkward convos with neighboring campers by setting up as far away from other folks as you can. 

If you absolutely must use light, then there are workarounds. Astronomers have long recommended that stargazers use only red light out in the wild, or to place red filters across the front of existing flashlights. That's rule two to help create an unhindered view of the night sky. The thinking behind it is quite nifty science. Basically, dim red lights do not deactivate a certain chemical called rhodopsin, which can really help our eyes adjust to low-light environments and get those stars a-shining ever brighter.

Red lights sorted? Lantern dimmed? Good. Also, be sure to pack accordingly for that astronomical adventure. Stargazing can be a cold and hardy business. Blankets, a comfy seat, and plenty of refreshments could prove just as important as dimming the torch. Is that a shooting star?