1. 1. Canvas of the CosmosByark Rangers Randy Dunning & Kevin Poe D P Core of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) Crab Supernova (M1) NPS photo by Dan Duriscoe Darkness is Beautiful
2. 2. Comet NEAT Darkness is Beautiful Crab Supernova (M1)
3. 3. Hercules Globular Cluster (M13) Darkness is Beautiful Comet NEAT
4. 4. Swan Nebula (M17) Darkness is Beautiful Hercules Globular Cluster (M13)
5. 5. Andromeda Galaxy (M31) Darkness is Beautiful Swan Nebula (M17)
6. 6. Orion Nebula (M42) Darkness is Beautiful Andromeda Galaxy (M31)
7. 7. Ring Nebula (M57) Darkness is Beautiful Orion Nebula (M42)
8. 8. Cigar Galaxy (M82) Darkness is Beautiful Ring Nebula (M57)
9. 9. Dumbbell Nebula (M27) Darkness is Beautiful Cigar Galaxy (M82)
10. 10. Sombrero Galaxy (M104) Darkness is Beautiful Dumbbell Nebula (M27)
11. 11. Whirlpool Galaxy & companion (M51) Darkness is Beautiful Sombrero Galaxy (M104)
12. 12. Darkness is Beautiful Whirlpool Galaxy & companion (M51)
13. 13. Saturn Darkness is Beautiful Hubble Ultra Deep Field
14. 14. Jupiter Darkness is Beautiful Saturn
15. 15. Mars Darkness is Beautiful Jupiter
16. 16. Venus Darkness is Beautiful Mars
17. 17. Mercury Darkness is Beautiful Venus
18. 18. Sol Darkness is Beautiful Mercury
19. 19. Moon Darkness is Beautiful Sol
20. 20. Earth Darkness is Beautiful Moon
21. 21. Darkness is Beautiful
22. 22. If its rare...Capture it !And Charge Admission!
    • P.T. Greatest Show ON Earth Barnum
    So darkness is$ AND beautiful... Darkness is Beautiful
23. 23. Defending Darkness Protecting darkness is hard Lake Mead (ugly) Bryce (good) Yosemite (bad)
24. 24.
    • Light Trespass
    • Laws end at boundaries(light transcends)
    • Cant fence light(urban domes exceed 5,000m!)
    • Education doesnt work on empty seats
    • ONLYTourism gets the butts in the seats!
    Photo by Jim Richardson Defending Darkness
25. 25. Astronomy Tourism Sky City, AZ Observatory B&B, BC Astronomers Inn, AZ Night Adventures, Red River, NM
26. 26. Profitable Tourism isntmore people per day, but Increased Length of Stay! Dark lovers stay overnight andeat bigger breakfasts! - Kevin Greatest ShowFOREarth Poe Astronomy Tourism
27. 27. National Parks (the big guns of tourism) Yellowstone Death Valley Bryce Canyon Chaco Culture Curecanti Yosemite Grand Canyon Great Basin Virgin Islands Astronomy Tourism
    • In 2008 Bryce Astronomy:
    • 91formal presentations
    • 31,000 contacts (15,450 people)
    • ~$850k to local economy!
28. 28. Astronomy Tourism 50 Telescopes! Constellation Tours! Real Rocket Science! Ranger Assisted Astronaut Story Musgrave! Repairer of the Hubble Telescope! 3000 Visitors! Astronomy Festival June 17-20, 2009! Join us for 9 th Annual Bryce Canyon
29. 29.
    • Light means:
    • Safety
    • Money
    Eat at Joes! Down pointing retrofit: -$1000 Monthly Rent+$15,000 Ammortized over 10yr lifespan -$8.33/month More light isnt always safer & seldom necessary ProtectingAstro-Tourism
30. 30.
    • 50% wont see the Milky Way
    • $2 billion lost in up light
    • Shrinking telescopes
    • Even parks are getting brighter
    Report from the Front Lines: Milky Way 5000+ ly Page, AZ 61 miles (98 km) Cedar City & I-15 corridor 48 miles (72 km) St. George 78 miles (125 km)
    • 218ft 2
    • 116ft 2
    • 101ft 2
    Hooker 1917 (54ft 2 ) Hale 1948 (218ft 2 ) War Progress Report Cedar City,UT Beaver, UT 2007 1948 147 200 Photo by Tyler Nordgren
31. 31. Its not! -The Loraxby Dr. Seuss Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. Unless Could we lose the Stars? At the rate we are going yes, its very likely! War Progress Report
32. 32. How do you care a whole awful lot?
    • Celebrate darkness
    • Close blinds at night
    • Upgrade your lights
    • Request & support lighting ordinances
    • Get your money back!
    Terrible $43/yr Bad $32/yr Great $0/yr Good $11/yr Join the Fight Against the Light! ProtectingAstro-Tourism Photo by Jim Richardson Motion Sensor $10/yr