Starlight Reserve

A Common Heritage
The Right to Starlight

International Initiative in Defence of the Quality of the Night Sky as Mankind’s Scientific, Cultural and Environmental Right

Starlight Reserve

STARLIGHT RESERVES

A Starlight Reserve is a site where a commitment to defend the night sky quality and the access to starlight has been established. Its main function will be to preserve the quality of the night sky and its associated values, being them cultural, scientific, astronomical, natural, or landscape-related.
A Starlight Reserve will have a core or dark zone. This is an unpolluted area where natural night sky light conditions are kept intact. This core zone will be protected by a buffer or protection zone to avoid the adverse effects of air and light pollution reaching the core zone. Finally, an external zone where criteria of intelligent and responsible lighting will be enforced, protecting night sky quality from other harmful factors such as air pollution.
Each Starlight Reserve requirements would be specific to the characteristics, singularities and functions of the site, which should be related to the preservation of the quality of astronomical observations, wildlife conservation, together with the maintenance of the integrity of nighttime landscapes and cultural heritage scenarios.
A Starlight Reserve declaration will be accompanied by a participative action plan and an ensemble of recommendations aimed to preserve and recover the night sky quality up to the feasible limits, paying attention to the related cultural, educational, scientific and environmental benefits.
The objectives and functions of Starlight Reserves are guided by the principles contained in the Declaration in Defence of the Night Sky and the Right to Starlight.

Starlight Reserve Working Group..>

Starligth Declaration

"An unpolluted night sky that allows the enjoyment and contemplation of the firmament should be considered an inalienable right of humankind equivalent to all other environmental, social, and cultural rights, due to its impact on the development of all peoples and on the conservation of biodiversity."
Starlight Declaration. La Palma, Spain 2008.

"The sky, our common and universal heritage, is an integral part of the environment perceived by humanity. Humankind has always observed the sky either to interpret it or to understand the physical laws that govern the universe. This interest in astronomy has had profound implications for science, philosophy, religion, culture and our general conception of the universe".
Proclamation of 2009 as International Year of Astronomy. UNESCO. Paris 2005.

“Persons belonging to future generations have the right to an uncontaminated and undamaged Earth, including pure skies; they are entitled to its enjoyment as the ground of human history of culture and social bonds that make each generation and individual a member of one human family.”
Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Future Generations. La Laguna, 1994. f

			STARLIGHT RESERVE CONCEPT Working document prepared with the collaboration of IAU (International Astronomical Union) UNESCO-WHC (Initiative Astronomy and World Heritage), MaB (Man and Biosphere Programme), CIE (International Commission on Illumination), OTPC-IAC (Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias). Document (2.8 MB)
			NZ Starlight Reserve keep our starlight burning bright An initiative to establish a Lake Tekapo / Aoraki Mt Cook Starlight Reserve by 2009 (the International Year of Astronomy). This area embraces the Aoraki Mt Cook National Park within the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site and has the highest mountains in New Zealand. Brochure
			OTPC Sky Quality Protection Technical Office The Sky Quality Protection Technical Office (OTPC) was set up by the IAC in January 1992 to provide advice on the application of the Sky Law (Law 31/1988), which protects the astronomical quality of observatories in the Canaries from: light pollution, radioelectrical pollution, atmospheric pollution, aviation routes. The OTPC provides advice on the application of regulations contained in the Law and produces technical reports for lighting projects and radioelectric stations, as well as issuing lighting certificates.
			Dark Sky Guidelines Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - RASC The RASC Light Pollution Abatement Committee wish to encourage every RASC Centre, and other groups and organizations to seek out dark sites and local urban areas that can be used for public star nights, or that with some improvements, may become suitable. These properties may be any defined area under the control of management, such as federal or provincial parks or private parks and campgrounds. Urban Star Park Guidelines Guidelines for Outdoor Lighting in USP Dark Sky Dark Sky Preserve Guidelines Guidelines for Outdoor Lighting in DSP
			AstroLaB Practical Guide for Lighting 20 December 2007: the United Nations 62nd General Assembly proclaimed 2009 the International Year of Astronomy. The Resolution was submitted by Italy, Galileo Galilei's home country. The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is an initiative of the International Astronomical Union and UNESCO.
			CIE Guidelines and Technical Reports Artificial Lighting and its Impact on the Natural Environment / Masterplanning urban lighting / Guide lines for minimizing urban sky glow near astronomical observatories, and moore....
			IDA The International Dark Sky Places Through our International Dark Sky Places program, IDA and its partners certify locations with exceptional nightscapes as International Dark Sky Communities (IDSC), International Dark Sky Parks (IDSP), and International Dark Sky Reserves (IDSR).
			Starlight A Common Heritage International Conference in Defence of the Quality of the Night Sky and the Right to Observe the Stars. Publication