Wai-iti celebrates Dark Sky Week

Did you know that light can be a pollutant?

Overly bright and unnecessary outdoor lighting creates glare and skyglow, destroying critical nocturnal wildlife habitats, harming human health, and diminishing our view of the stars.

As lighting options become more inexpensive and brighter, we are illuminating the night more and more. Every eight years, light pollution around the world doubles. Today, 80 per cent of the world’s population lives beneath light-polluted skies.

This photo is of the first star party at the Wai-iti International Dark Sky Park in July 2020. You can see the milky way in the middle above the trees. The faint patch just above the tree at the left is the large magellanic cloud.

Look up into the night sky from your back yard. How many stars can you see? Smart and simple lighting practices around your own home and community can make a difference to how many stars we can see?

International Dark Sky Week will be celebrated with the opening of the season viewing for 2025 at Wai-iti International Dark Sky Park on Saturday, 26 April.

View the stars through telescopes provided by Dark Sky Group and Nelson Astronomical Society members, from 7pm to 10pm.

Clear skies are required so check for cancellations before you come. Suggested Koha $5 per person or $10 for a family.