Known as the Rock of Polynesia, the Pacific island of Niue is the first country to become a dark-sky nation. There, the night skies allow its inhabitants to have a clear and uncontaminated view of the stars, something that is increasingly rare to find on our planet , which suffers from having more and more light pollution.
Niue is located about 2400 kilometers northeast of New Zealand and as of this week is officially the best country in the world to see the stars.
There are fantastic places in the world for star lovers, such as the Atacama Desert in Chile, the Cíes Islands in Galicia (Spain), the Aoraki Mackenzie Reserve in New Zealand or Mount Megantic in Quebe c; However, never before has a country as a whole been declared a Dark Sky sanctuary, a listing granted by the non-profit International Dark Sky Association (IDA) as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary and International Dark Sky Community. IDA tries to defend the night environment from the intrusive disturbances of light pollution. And these days, preserving the dark is quite an ideal to fight for in the face of the threat of unnatural light.
Adam Dalton, International Dark Sky Places Program Manager stated: “Following a rigorous application and approval process, I would like to formally congratulate Niue on becoming the latest addition to IDA’s International Dark Sky Places Program.”
Regarding the fact that the small nation of Niue is the first country to be formally accredited as an International Dark Sky Place , the truth is that it is one of the smallest independent nations in the world, with a population of just over 1,600. people , located in the center of the triangle formed by Samoa, Tonga and the Cook Islands.
To achieve this recognition, the nation completely replaced all street lamps on the island and also helped improve domestic private lighting, among other things.
What does this honor entail?
As of now, Niue has formal protection for its sky, land and sea with the IDA International Dark Sky designations in addition to existing measures, including a marine reserve that encompasses 40% of Niue’s exclusive economic zone and the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area that contains some species of flora and fauna threatened in the world.
Its people enjoy a long history of navigators guided by the stars and lunar cycles, with its elders passing on their knowledge from generation to generation. And they hope to continue like this for as long as they can.
Niue thus joins the more than 130 places certified as Dark Sky around the world , although it is the first to present itself as an entire nation, as we have seen. By limiting light pollution, the organization hopes to limit the disruption of wildlife, save energy, and preserve a clear view of the universe. This last point is of great importance in astronomy circles, with SpaceX’s burgeoning Starlink satellite constellation and others like it, threatening the work of scientists around the world.
According to the CEO of Niue Tourism, Felicity Bollen “observation sites currently used for whale watching and access to the sea are already established on the island. Visitors can enjoy the wonder of a night sky illuminated by thousands of stars. The Milky Way with the large and small Magellanic Clouds and the constellation Andromeda are truly a sight to behold. “
This name has more meaning than it seems, since the harmful proliferation of electric light is so serious that it is estimated that one third of humanity can no longer see the Milky Way.
Referencia: International Dark Sky Association
