Darkest Countries 2024

There exist over 200 Dark Sky Places around the world representing more than 22 countries. When labeled a Dark Sky Place by International Dark Sky Places, this means an area, a reserve, park, community, or sanctuary has been identified as having low light pollution. This means that residents and visitors within this area are better able to view the stars or a natural night sky. Chad is the country identified as having the least light pollution of all global locations, awarding it the most pristine night skies.

The Uniqueness of a Dark Sky Place

Astoundingly, in 80% of all the spaces throughout the world, there is so much light pollution that residents can’t even see the Milky Way or even most stars from their own backyard. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is one non-profit group that is committed to protecting spaces from light pollution through the designation of being named a Dark Sky Space. This protects the area by working with local communities to advance responsible outdoor lighting, and educate the public on the importance of light pollution reduction overall.

Dangers of a Light Sky

Having a night sky that does not allow views of stars and/or the Milky Way due to light pollution or excessive development can have immense negative consequences. While obscuring the view of a pristine night sky is one, it is far from the only reason to advocate for dark sky places and to hold them dear. Artificial light, like that which interferes with dark night skies, has been shown to have a direct and negative impact on the circadian rhythm, hormones and human behavior and physiology according to a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences medical study.

In addition to causing issues for humans, artificial lighting can also be harmful to the behavior and overall health of wildlife. One example of this is the fact that having street lights too close to shorelines has caused baby turtles to become disoriented after they hatch and wander away from the ocean towards the land. This is not good and can lead to their death in many cases according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy. Unfortunately, this is far from the only example of how artificial lighting is negatively impacting animal and/or marine life.

Dark Skies Are Worth Protecting

According to the IDA, in less than 100 years, artificial lights have all but transformed the sky. This means millions of children will never get to experience the Milky Way, which is a sad fact and one reason among many to guard against too many artificial lights in a night’s sky. Light pollution sadly robs humans of the opportunity to experience the wonder of a natural night sky.